Strategic market orientation in mental healthcare: A knowledge synthesis

System amendments, budget cuts and market forces have led to a deregulation of the Dutch (mental) healthcare system. Mental healthcare providers are forced to critically examine their strategic position, which increases the need for more knowledge on the strategic market orientation tools that are applicable in mental healthcare. The literature shows that a mental healthcare provider needs to develop knowledge within four domains of strategic market orientation: mental healthcare demand, mental healthcare supply, stakeholders, and the external environment. This article aims to answer the question as to which information and instruments are available for mental healthcare providers to develop this knowledge. Information was gathered via telephone interviews with policymakers and advisors of nine large mental healthcare providers in the Netherlands, complemented with the literature related to the four domains. This resulted in a knowledge synthesis on strategic market orientation in mental healthcare. This knowledge synthesis provides mental healthcare providers with a framework that needs to be operationalized in practice, leading to concrete guidelines for the development of a marketing function in mental healthcare organizations.
Keywords: Strategic market orientation, Knowledge synthesis, Mental healthcare demand, Mental healthcare supply, Stakeholders, External environment