Healthcare Service Provider Case Studies

METROPOLITAN AREA TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL
A large, well reputed tertiary care hospital was planning to purchase a smaller hospital in a
nearby city. The client was interested in determining whether acquisition of the smaller hospital,
which was less well-reputed would hurt its own reputation for quality care, and whether or not
association of its own name with that of the acquired hospital would help boost the acquired
hospital’s reputation.

As part of this project, the client sought opinions from physicians working both on its own staff
and on the staff of the hospital to be acquired. Aware that physicians are difficult to reach for
interview, The Olinger Group used a “fax-phone” data collection method whereby physicians
received a recruiting letter by fax and were given a phone number to call for a brief, one-on-one
interview. Physicians received an incentive for their participation.

Using this method, The Olinger Group was able to gather a sufficient number of interviews and
make a concrete recommendation on the desirability of merging the 2 institutions’ names from
the perspective of effected physicians.’

CARDIOLOGY REFERRALS
A large healthcare clinic was concerned that its primary care physicians had reduced the
frequency with which they made referrals to clinic cardiologists. The concern was based on a
perception that the cardiologists tended to be uncooperative with the other physicians.

The Olinger Group conducted a fax survey with relevant physicians, attaining an acceptable
39% response rate. Though declining referrals did not appear to be a problem, results
suggested that some modifications to the cardiologists’ behavior were in order. Specifically,
primary care physicians reported frequently receiving complaints from their patients concerning
their treatment by cardiologists. They also reported difficulties in making appointments.

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