| Course | BUS 532 Healthcare Marketing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 8 |
| Paper type | Health care marketing plan |
| Length | About 1,060 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | MBA |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 532 Module 8
Hearing the Gap: A Marketing Plan for a Health System's Audiology Program After Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
Student Name
MBA Program, Aspen University
BUS 532: Healthcare Marketing
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Hearing the Gap: A Marketing Plan for a Health System's Audiology Program After Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
Lakeshore Health, a composite regional health system based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, operates three hospitals and 22 primary care clinics. Its audiology program, three audiologists at two clinics, evaluates hearing, fits hearing aids and treats balance disorders. The program has run at about 70% of appointment capacity, and hearing aid sales have declined since over-the-counter devices became available. This paper presents a first-year marketing plan for the program.
Executive Summary
Hearing loss is common and mostly untreated. Since 2022, adults who think their loss is mild or moderate can buy hearing aids without seeing a professional, changing how patients enter the market. Lakeshore's audiology program will position itself as the trusted guide for hearing care, serving patients whether they choose over-the-counter devices or prescription hearing aids, with screening in primary care, unbundled pricing and a third clinic. First-year objectives include 2,400 hearing evaluations and 900 device fittings or support packages, with a marketing budget of $96,000.
Situation Analysis
Goman and Lin (2016), analyzing national examination data, estimated that close to a quarter of the population aged 12 or above had at least mild loss in at least one ear, with prevalence rising steeply with age. Chien and Lin (2012), using the same national survey, found that roughly one in seven people past 50 who had measurable loss wore hearing aids. Untreated hearing loss affects communication, work and safety, and many patients wait years before seeking help. In Lakeshore's service area of about 410,000 people, these figures suggest tens of thousands of residents with hearing loss, most untreated.
The market changed when the Food and Drug Administration opened a new retail class of hearing aids, sold without a prescription to adults who judge their own loss to be mild or moderate, codified at 21 C.F.R. § 800.30 and effective in October 2022. Devices are now sold in pharmacies, big-box stores and online, at prices far below traditional bundled hearing aids. Competitors include a big-box retailer's hearing center, two independent hearing aid dispensers and online sellers. Lakeshore's strengths are its audiologists' clinical training, its primary care network and its ability to diagnose medical causes of hearing loss; its weaknesses are limited locations, traditional bundled pricing and little marketing.
Objectives
In the first year, the program will complete 2,400 hearing evaluations, an increase of 35%; fit 600 prescription hearing aids and provide 300 over-the-counter support packages; receive 1,200 referrals from Lakeshore primary care clinics; and achieve an average improvement of at least 10 points on a standard patient-reported hearing questionnaire at three months.
Segments and Positioning
Three segments call for different offers. Adults with mild loss who are considering over-the-counter devices want affordable help choosing and adjusting a device. Adults with moderate to severe loss need prescription hearing aids and ongoing care. Adults with complex problems, such as sudden loss, ringing in the ears, balance disorders or loss in one ear, need medical evaluation before any device.
The positioning statement reads: For adults in northeast Wisconsin noticing changes in their hearing, Lakeshore Audiology is the trusted guide that helps you hear better, whether you buy hearing aids over the counter or through us, because our audiologists test, explain and support you as part of your health care.
Services
The program will add an over-the-counter support package: a hearing evaluation, help choosing among over-the-counter devices, a fitting and adjustment visit and a follow-up, for patients who buy devices elsewhere. Prescription hearing aid care will continue, and medical referral pathways to ear, nose and throat physicians will be formalized for complex cases.
Price
Pricing will be unbundled and posted. A hearing evaluation will be billed to insurance where covered, with a $95 self-pay price. The over-the-counter support package will cost $195. Prescription hearing aids will be priced as devices plus a separate service plan, rather than one bundled price, so patients see what they pay for.
Access
A third clinic will open in a growing suburb, and evening appointments will be offered two days a week. Primary care clinics will offer a two-minute hearing screening questionnaire at annual wellness visits for patients 60 and older, with a direct scheduling link for those who screen positive.
Promotion
Promotion will focus on primary care. Physicians and nurses will receive brief training on hearing loss and the referral process. Patient portal messages will invite patients 60 and older to complete the screening questionnaire. Community talks at senior centers and libraries will explain options, including over-the-counter devices. Messages will be factual and encouraging and will avoid fear-based appeals about cognitive decline.
Budget
| Item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Primary care training and materials | $14,000 |
| Patient portal campaign and screening tool | $18,000 |
| Website pages and online booking | $16,000 |
| Community talks and printed guides | $12,000 |
| Local radio and newspaper | $24,000 |
| Third clinic opening promotion | $12,000 |
| Total | $96,000 |
Implementation Calendar
| Months | Activity | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Primary care training; screening tool built into wellness visits | Audiology director and primary care medical director |
| 2 | Post prices and launch over-the-counter support package | Audiology director |
| 3 to 6 | Community talks; portal campaign | Marketing coordinator |
| 6 | Third clinic opens | Operations manager |
| 12 | Plan review | Service line leadership |
Risks
Three risks could undermine the plan. Primary care clinicians may not add hearing screening to crowded wellness visits; the brief questionnaire and a direct scheduling link are designed to make it take less than two minutes. Patients may see the over-the-counter support package as an attempt to sell them prescription devices; audiologists will be instructed to recommend over-the-counter devices whenever they fit the patient's hearing loss. Big-box competitors may cut prices further; the program will compete on clinical expertise and follow-up care rather than device price.
Measures
The program will track evaluations, fittings and support packages monthly, referrals by primary care clinic, appointment fill rate, patient-reported hearing benefit at three months and patient experience scores. If primary care referrals fall short by more than 20% after six months, the team will meet with low-referring clinics to understand barriers.
Conclusion
Hearing loss is widespread and largely untreated, and over-the-counter hearing aids have changed how patients enter care. Lakeshore's audiology program can serve more patients by guiding them through either path, pricing transparently, expanding access and working through primary care. The plan's objectives include patient benefit as well as volume, reflecting what health care marketing should achieve.
References
Chien, W., & Lin, F. R. (2012). Prevalence of hearing aid use among older adults in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(3), 292-293. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2011.1408
Food and Drug Administration. Over-the-counter hearing aid controls, 21 C.F.R. § 800.30 (2022).
Goman, A. M., & Lin, F. R. (2016). Prevalence of hearing loss by severity in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 106(10), 1820-1822. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303299
What the BUS 532 Module 8 instructions ask for
Aspen's catalog for BUS 532 ends with a plan in which every earlier tool is put to work on one health service. The Module 8 prompt in your classroom lists the sections expected; this example provides a full plan for one service. Begin with an executive summary. Support the need for the service with epidemiological evidence and describe the market, including regulatory changes and competitors. Set measurable objectives. Define segments by need and choose a positioning. Make decisions on services, price, access and promotion that fit health care's ethical limits. Include a budget, an implementation calendar and measures that combine clinical, patient experience and financial results.
How this BUS 532 Module 8 example is built
The plan begins with Lakeshore Health's audiology program, three audiologists at two clinics, and an executive summary. The situation analysis reports Goman and Lin's prevalence estimate from the American Journal of Public Health and Chien and Lin's finding on hearing aid use from Archives of Internal Medicine, then explains the FDA's over-the-counter rule and competition from big-box hearing centers and online sellers. Objectives cover new evaluations, devices fitted, primary care referrals and patient-reported benefit. Three segments, adults with mild loss considering over-the-counter devices, adults with moderate to severe loss and adults with complex hearing problems, receive distinct offers. Positioning centers on the program as a trusted guide. The mix includes an over-the-counter fitting and support package, unbundled pricing, a third clinic and screening in primary care. A budget, calendar and measures close the plan.
Where the marks sit in the BUS 532 Module 8 rubric
Health care marketing plans are graded on evidence of need, completeness, internal consistency and responsible practice. This plan grounds need in published research with figures and years, including Goman and Lin's American Journal of Public Health estimate and Chien and Lin's research letter, and cites the FDA's final rule for the regulatory change. Segments are defined by clinical need, and each receives a distinct offer, so strategy and mix connect. Pricing is unbundled and transparent, and promotion relies on primary care screening rather than fear-based messages, which respects the ethical standards discussed earlier in the course. Kotler, Shalowitz and Stevens's text supports the structure. The budget, calendar and measures make the plan executable and show how success will be judged by benefit to patients as well as volume.
BUS 532 Module 8 help from the desk
The most frequent weakness in Module 8 is a plan built on assumed demand. Support the need with published data and local estimates. Another is a strategy section that does not shape the marketing mix; check that every service, price and promotion decision follows from your segments and positioning. In health care, be careful with promotional claims, avoid exploiting fear, and present benefits honestly. Consider regulatory changes that reshape the market. Make prices clear and explain what they include. Address access, such as locations, hours and transportation. Set objectives that include patient benefit, not only volume. Provide a realistic budget and calendar with responsibilities. Finally, reuse work from earlier modules where it fits, updating it for this service and this market.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More BUS 532 and MBA sample papers
- BUS 532 Module 1: Marketing in Health Care
- BUS 532 Module 2: The Health Care Marketplace
- BUS 532 Module 3: Patients, Referrers and Payers
- BUS 532 Module 4: Segmentation and Service Lines
- BUS 532 Module 5: Pricing, Access and Value
- BUS 532 Module 6: Digital Marketing and Reputation
- BUS 532 Module 7: Ethics and Regulation
- BUS 550 Module 6: Capital Budgeting
- BUS 510 Module 8: Relevant Costs for Decisions
- BUS 551 Module 6: Payout Policy
- BUS 530 Module 6: Pricing and Channel Strategy
BUS 532 Module 8 questions, answered
What does BUS 532 Module 8 usually ask for?
Aspen's BUS 532 ends with a health care marketing plan, so a complete plan covering need, market, objectives, segments, positioning, mix, budget and measures for a health service is typical. Follow your classroom prompt.
How common is hearing loss?
Goman and Lin estimated that close to a quarter of the population aged 12 or above had at least mild loss in at least one ear.
What did the FDA's over-the-counter hearing aid rule do?
Effective in October 2022, it created a category of hearing aids that adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss can buy without a medical exam or audiologist fitting.
Where can I find a free BUS 532 Module 8 sample paper?
The complete plan is shown above: a health system's audiology program after over-the-counter hearing aids, with need, segments, positioning, mix, budget and measures.
Should a health care marketing plan include patient outcomes?
Yes. Measures of patient benefit, such as reported hearing improvement, show whether the service is delivering value, not just volume.