Business Research Process
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente (KP), a prominent and not-for-profit healthcare establishment, has received an opportunity to trial and promote a new medical equipment in which KP members can ultimately receive improved patient care services. Should the equipment trial conclude successfully, the equipment can be purchased at a reduced price. With KP facilities equipped with extensive radiology and oncology equipment, specific KP medical centers will receive a state of the art MRI machine on behalf of General Electric (GE). The new MRI machine will provide more clear and accurate images for x-rays, CAT scans, ultrasounds, and nuclear medicine tests. In addition, the machine would eliminate patients having to sit or lie in uncomfortable positions to retrieve bodily images which will increase patient satisfaction.
Should KP choose to trial the equipment and attain positive results, remaining KP facilities and other healthcare competitors will pursue the purchase of the new MRI machine. However, prior to committing to a new billion dollar equipment and promotion commitment, KP must engage in research to determine if the new equipment will benefit their members along with which facility would pilot the new machine. “Good research generates dependable data that are derived by professionally conducted practices and that can be used reliably for decision making” (Cooper & Schindler, 2011).
Various teams will combine efforts to extract data from the hospital’s medical record to determine current and prospective volume of patients that come in requiring outpatient MRI services along with those who still utilize the services in their concurrent care. The KP Benefits department will provide the yearly data related to MRI expenses and how much insurance paid for the services. Utilizing the aforementioned data will enable KP business managers and executives to determine how patient care services will be impacted and improved with the new yet costly machine and the strategic business plan for purchasing them for the remaining facilities.

Reference
Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business Research Methods (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Company.