During the analysis stage, you consider external factors that pose possible threats to or provide op ...

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During the analysis stage, you consider external factors that pose possible threats to or provide opportunities for your organization and compare these factors against your HCO’s internal operation to diagnose its strengths and weaknesses. Many HCOs have found it useful to conduct a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses refer to elements that are internal to the organization; opportunities and threats are external to the organization. An effective SWOT analysis helps the marketing team determine the healthcare organization’s position in a particular market place as well as the positions of its competitors. By analyzing the current market and the deficiencies of the HCO’s competitors, and by assessing the HCO’s internal strengths and weaknesses, the marketing team can reposition the organization to meet and exceed the needs of its customers.