Koncept javne zdravstvene zaštite mnogo je širi nego što mnogi vjeruju. Sustav javne zdravstvene zaštite ne treba samo uzeti u obzir liječnički tretman, već i niz društvenih, kognitivnih i emocionalnih čimbenika - ljudi ne samo da moraju biti klinički zdravi, nego bi se trebali i osjećati zdravo. Zbog toga, društveni marketing je djelotvoran pristup promjeni ponašanja koji se pokazao učinkovit na širokim područjima zdravstvenih promocija i temama prevencija bolesti. Zdravstvena industrija u Republici Hrvatskoj prolazi kroz duboke strukturne promjene koje će promijeniti ulogu koju bolnica i liječnik igraju u pružanju medicinske skrbi. Što brže troškovi bolnica rastu, to brže uloga zdravstvenog marketinga postaje važna. Primjena marketinškog koncepta u bolnicama zahtijeva odgovarajući odnos između bolničke uprave i medicinskog osoblja. Ne smije se zanemariti uloga promocije u primjeni marketinga u javnoj zdravstvenoj zaštiti. Danas i u budućnosti učinkovita promocija će imati najznačajniju ulogu u daljnjem razvoju bolnica.

The concept of public healthcare is much wider than many people believe. Public healthcare systems need not only to give consideration to medical treatment but also to a range of social, cognitive and emotional factors - poeple must not only be clinically healthy, they should feel healthy too. Because of that, social marketing is an effective behaviour change approach that has been proven effective across a wide range of health promotion and disease prevention subject areas. The health care industry in the Republic of Croatia is undergoing profound structural changes which will alter the role the hospital and the physician play in supplying a medical care. The more rapidly hospital costs escalate, the more rapidly the role of healthcare marketing becomes important. The application of marketing concept to the hospital requires a responsive relationship between hospital administration and the medical staff. The role of promotion in applying marketing to public healthcare can not be neglected. In today and in the future an effective promotion will have the most significant role in hospitals further development.