Barriers to implementation of digital marketing in healthcare centers of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province
Social Determinants of Health,
Vol. 12 (2026),
1 January 2026
,
Page 1-11
https://doi.org/10.22037/sdh.v12i1.51973
Abstract
Background: The rapid advancement of digital technologies has made digital marketing a crucial tool for enhancing patient communication, expanding healthcare access, and improving the competitiveness of health institutions. This study aimed to identify and analyze managerial and educational barriers to implementing digital marketing in healthcare centers of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province and to propose targeted strategies for improvement.
Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed in 2025. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 purposively selected managers and staff to explore key implementation challenges. In the quantitative phase, 102 managers and employees were recruited through stratified random sampling. Data were gathered using a researcher-developed questionnaire covering six barrier dimensions—managerial, organizational, human resources, technical, financial, and infrastructural—with specific emphasis on digital skills and training-related factors. Instrument reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87.
Results: Financial barriers ranked highest with a mean score of 4.12, followed by human resource and managerial obstacles. Limited digital literacy, inadequate training in digital marketing tools, and the absence of structured educational programs were identified as significant challenges. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships among barrier dimensions, with the strongest association observed between managerial and human resource factors.
Conclusion: Successful digital marketing implementation in healthcare requires simultaneous attention to financial, managerial, human resource, educational, and infrastructural elements. Strengthening managerial support, investing in digital infrastructure, and developing continuous training programs to enhance staff digital competencies can significantly facilitate the adoption and effective utilization of digital marketing strategies in healthcare organizations.
- Delivery of Health Care
- Digital Media
- Health Information Management
- Information Technology
- Marketing
- Staff Development
How to Cite
References
1. Kraus S, Schiavone F, Pluzhnikova A, Invernizzi AC. Digital transformation in healthcare: Analyzing the current state-of-research. Journal of business research. 2021;123(1):557-567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.030
2. Verhoef PC, Broekhuizen T, Bart Y, Bhattacharya A, Dong JQ, Fabian N, Haenlein M. Digital transformation: A multidisciplinary reflection and research agenda. Journal of business research. 2021;122(1):889-901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.022
3. Liu R, Gupta S, Patel P. The application of the principles of responsible AI on social media marketing for digital health. Information Systems Frontiers. 2023;25(6):2275-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10191-z
4. Agarwal R, Gao G, DesRoches C, Jha AK. Research commentary—The digital transformation of healthcare: Current status and the road ahead. Information systems research. 2010;21(4):796-809. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1100.0327
5. Dwivedi YK, Ismagilova E, Hughes DL, Carlson J, Filieri R, Jacobson J, Jain V, Karjaluoto H, Kefi H, Krishen AS, Kumar V. Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International journal of information management. 2021;59(1):102168-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
6. Okolo CA, Babawarun O, Arowoogun JO, Adeniyi AO, Chidi R. The role of mobile health applications in improving patient engagement and health outcomes: A critical review. International Journal of Science and Research Archive. 2024;11(1):2566-74. https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2024.11.1.0334
7. Dash S, Shakyawar SK, Sharma M, Kaushik S. Big data in healthcare: management, analysis and future prospects. Journal of big data. 2019;6(1):54-68. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40537-019-0217-0
8. Hwang M, Cho Y, Gahn K, Mason H, Manojlovich M, Gong Y, Jiang Y. Exploring factors affecting the adoption and use of digital health technologies among older adults with cancer: A qualitative study. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2025;33(9):758-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-025-09813-y
9. Hundal GS, Rhodes D, Laux C. Digital transformation of healthcare enterprises in the era of disruptionsA structured literature review. Sustainability. 2025;17(13):5690-98. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135690
10. Keshta I, Odeh A. Security and privacy of electronic health records: Concerns and challenges. Egyptian Informatics Journal. 2021;22(2):177-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eij.2020.07.003
11. Martínez-Pérez B, De La Torre-Díez I, López-Coronado M. Privacy and security in mobile health apps: a review and recommendations. Journal of medical systems. 2015;39(1):181-187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-014-0181-3
12. Borges do Nascimento IJ, Abdulazeem H, Vasanthan LT, Martinez EZ, Zucoloto ML, Østengaard L, Azzopardi-Muscat N, Zapata T, Novillo-Ortiz D. Barriers and facilitators to utilizing digital health technologies by healthcare professionals. NPJ digital medicine. 2023;6(1):161-173. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-023-00899-4
13. Bamzar SA, Eftekhari AR, Qurbanejad R. Analyzing the Obstacles of Entrepreneurship Planning of Tourism Destination: A case study of Kohkiloyeh and Boyer Ahmed Villages. Journal of Rural Research. 2024;15(4):67-78. https://doi.org/10.22059/jrur.2025.378310.1958
14. Faghihi SH. A Glance at the Experiences of Controlling the COVID-19 Disease in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Provinces Based on GIS Information. Journal of Payavard Salamat. 2025;19(1):10-21. https://payavard.tums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_id=7734&sid=1&slc_lang=fa&ftxt=1
15. Nejadian AD, Ghanbari Y, Barghi H. Assessing and Measuring the Sustainability of Rural Settlements Active in the Field of Medicinal Plants (Case Study-Kohgiluyeh & Boyerahmad Province). Journal of Research & Rural Planning. 2023;12(2):19-31. https://doi.org/10.22067/jrrp.v12i2.2212-1063
16. Komasi H, Yazdi AK, Jamini D, Tan Y, Ocampo L. Sustainable industrial development potential of Iranian provinces using the integration of MEREC and TRUST methods. Journal of Management Analytics. 2025;12(4):849-81. https://doi.org/10.1080/23270012.2025.2506748
17. Milukutu A, Siachisa M. Assessing the Impact of Digital Transformation on Employee Performance in the Public Sector: A Case Study of Zambia's Ministry of Health Headquarters (2017-2022). International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education. 2023;10(9):118-126. https://doi.org/10.20431/2349-0381.1009013
18. Tortorella GL, Fogliatto FS, Mac Cawley Vergara A, Vassolo R, Sawhney R. Healthcare 4.0: trends, challenges and research directions. Production Planning & Control. 2020;31(15):1245-1260. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537287.2019.1702226
19. Dwivedi YK, Hughes L, Ismagilova E, Aarts G, Coombs C, Crick T, Duan Y, Dwivedi R, Edwards J, Eirug A, Galanos V. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International journal of information management. 2021;57(1):101994-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.08.002
20. Bokrantz J, Skoogh A, Berlin C, Wuest T, Stahre J. Smart Maintenance: a research agenda for industrial maintenance management. International journal of production economics. 2020;224(1):107547-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.107547
21. Nguyen KT, Medjaher K. A new dynamic predictive maintenance framework using deep learning for failure prognostics. Reliability Engineering & System Safety. 2019;188(1):251-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2019.03.018
22. Carvalho TP, Soares FA, Vita R, Francisco RD, Basto JP, Alcalá SG. A systematic literature review of machine learning methods applied to predictive maintenance. Computers & industrial engineering. 2019;137(1):106024-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2019.106024
23. Kruse CS, Krowski N, Rodriguez B, Tran L, Vela J, Brooks M. Telehealth and patient satisfaction: a systematic review and narrative analysis. BMJ open. 2017;7(8):e016242. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016242
24. Zonta T, Da Costa CA, da Rosa Righi R, De Lima MJ, Da Trindade ES, Li GP. Predictive maintenance in the Industry 4.0: A systematic literature review. Computers & industrial engineering. 2020;150(1):106889-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2020.106889
- Abstract Viewed: 16 times
- PDF Downloaded: 8 times