Comparative study of branding in Iranian public hospitals and some other public hospitals in selected countries

Applying branding models by health sectors of other countries, leads to delivering quality products and services tailored to customer needs. The objective was a comparative study of branding in Iranian public hospitals and some other public hospitals in selected countries. In this descriptive-comparative study, hospitals that have implemented successful branding were selected from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Ireland, South Korea and South Africa. A similar public hospital in Iran was also entered in this study. To collect data of hospitals under study, papers, and dissertations of electronic databases i.e. NHS, WHO and reports of selected hospitals were utilized. Collected data were summarized and classified based on the variables of the study and compared and analyzed in comparative tables. Each of the hospitals under study has taken some measures such as organization's competitive position, branding strategies, established brand and relationship with customers and has utilized the results to attract more patients and reduce the health expenditures; While Iran has limited experience in using this model in public hospitals. With regard to actions taken in selected hospitals to extend the branding, using their experiences in Iran, drafting, and adoption of policies and guidelines in this regard due to Iran's local conditions are highly recommended.