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Article published In: Journal of Asian Pacific Communication
Vol. 34:1 (2024) ► pp.83–111

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A genre-based investigation of the “About Us” section of private hospitals’ websites

 | University of Malaya
 | University of Malaya
 | University of Malaya
Published online: 22 January 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.00069.mei
Abstract
Medical tourism industry is currently viewed as one of the lucrative sources of income for some countries and in essence, owes much of its reputation and success to private hospitals and the Internet (Connell, J. (2006). Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and … surgery. Tourism Management, 271, 1093–1100. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). However, how these private hospitals discursively present themselves to prospective health tourists in order to entice them to use their medical services rather than their rivals’ still remains under-researched. Following the ESP genre school, this study seeks to explore the “About Us” sections of private hospitals’ websites and aims to see how such sections are rhetorically designed and constructed. Using Bhatia’s (Bhatia, V. K. (1993). Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings. London. Longman Group UK Limited.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar, (2004). Worlds of written discourse: A genre-based view. London: Continuum.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) move structures for promotional texts, this study examines the rhetorical structure of the constituent webpages of the “About Us” sections of forty-one Malaysian private hospitals’ websites. Our study demonstrates how Malaysian private hospitals utilize a number of cognitive structures to present and promote themselves in their “About Us” sections. Our findings are, in general, beneficial for the private hospitals in Malaysia or elsewhere in the world, and in particular, are helpful for novice medical website designers.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The “About Us” section of websites
  • 3.Study design
    • 3.1Data collection procedure
    • 3.2Data analysis procedure
      • 3.2.1Analysis of written texts (verbal move analysis)
  • 4.Findings and discussion
    • 4.1Move 1: Attracting reader’s/visitor’s attention
    • 4.2Move 2: Targeting the market
    • 4.3Move 3: Introducing the hospital
    • 4.4Move 4: Describing/(Essential) detailing of the hospital
    • 4.5Move 5: Indicating value of the hospital
    • 4.6Move 6: Justifying the hospital
    • 4.7Move 7: Creating a positive image
    • 4.8Move 8: Establishing credentials
    • 4.9Move 9: Offering endorsements/testimonials
    • 4.10Move 10: Establishing/Reinforcing the relationship with potential customers/visitors
    • 4.11Move 11: Giving extra/relevant information
  • 5.Revisiting Bhatia’s (1993, 2004) Move structures for promotional texts
  • 6.Concluding remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
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