Project management and marketing management system in the context of paradigmatic structural-functional features of medical services

Abstract

This article summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion regarding the structural-functional features of medical services in the project management and marketing management system. The main aim of the research is to paradigmatically demonstrate these structural-functional features to identify and solve problematic issues in the marketing of the healthcare system of Ukraine and to outline how project management tools can be applied to implement these marketing strategies effectively. The systematization of literary sources and approaches to solving the problem of marketing in the medical care system indicated that the authors' emphasis is mainly placed on issues of developing measures to attract patients to the provision of medical services. The relevance of solving this scientific problem lies in the fact that the prevailing goal of medical services marketing is the interests of the patient and only then the interests of the institution. The investigation of the issue of medical services marketing peculiarities in the article is carried out in the following logical sequence: determining the features of medical services as those that lack physical parameters and are therefore unmeasurable, perishable, inseparable from the manufacturer, and lack wholesale implementation. Furthermore, the study explores the necessity of reorienting medical institutions to the concept of value for the patient and establishes that a medical service is primarily a public good rather than a for-profit business. The research also addresses the necessity of combining the medical effect with the service component, as well as the issues of information asymmetry and the regulatory conditionality of medical services. Methodological tools of the conducted research were methods of systems analysis, with the research period covering the last 10 years. The object of the study is the healthcare system of Ukraine, as the resolution of these issues holds potential opportunities for improving the medical care system for the population of Ukraine. The article presents the results of an analytical review which establishes that the problem of structural-functional features of medical services lies in marketing methods that are distinct from all other service-providing structures. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves the necessity of resolving problematic issues of the marketing of the healthcare system of Ukraine, considering their obvious difference from the marketing of other services. Specifically, the study highlights that the perishability of medical services excludes accumulation and necessitates a patient-oriented approach where quality is judged by remote results. The research further argues that due to intangibility, the patient's choice is made under uncertainty, relying heavily on trust and reputation. Additionally, the inseparability of the service from the provider means the process itself is part of the result, making full standardization impossible. The paper concludes that effective marketing management must address the dual nature of the result—combining clinical efficacy with service quality – and mitigate the high level of information asymmetry between doctor and patient. The results of the conducted research can be useful for the development of strategic planning for the development of the medical care system.