Creating the Best Experience For Refractive Surgery Patients
Learn how to reallocate staff duties, improve scheduling and better manage patient flow to reach your goals.
Investing in a new refractive laser system and learning how to perform the latest surgical procedures are only part of the equation that may help increase the success of your practice and improve patient care. The other part involves creating the best surgical experience for patients, and this starts the moment they call your office to inquire about your services.
This article will detail the protocols you'll need to develop from a practice management standpoint that involve reorganizing staff duties, improving patient flow and scheduling, and training employees to increase efficiency and productivity.
Dividing the Camps
If your practice offers refractive surgery and comprehensive eye care, it's a good idea to designate certain employees to handle just refractive surgery patients and others to take care of general ophthalmology patients. Reason: There's a huge difference between running a refractive surgery practice and a general ophthalmology practice, according to Christopher P. Born, M.D., Gundersen Lutheran Eye Institute, La Crosse, Wis. Like cosmetic surgery candidates, refractive surgery patients expect a higher level of personalized service from their doctors than what is usually expected by general ophthalmology patients. In fact, Dr. Born schedules refractive surgery patients in clusters on certain days so that designated technicians are available and responsible for their care.
| Is Now the Time to Invest in a New Refractive Laser System? Making that decision can boost your success in an increasingly competitive environment. Much like patients who consult a cosmetic surgeon, those who seek a refractive surgeon are willing to undergo procedures that ultimately will enhance their appearance, boost their self-esteem and give them more confidence. And the parallels continue. Both cosmetic surgeons and refractive surgeons operate in a competitive environment, constantly aware of the need to upgrade to the latest technology and learn the newest procedures to meet patients' expectations. Ophthalmology practices are continuing to evolve to keep pace with ongoing advances in refractive laser technology and surgical procedures to provide the best care for patients. With this trend in mind, many ophthalmologists believe now is the time to invest in a new laser system and sharpen their surgical skills. These days, patients are more savvy and knowledgeable about refractive laser services, and they're expecting even better visual outcomes than ever before. So if you've been thinking about investing in a new laser system, you're on the right track. The benefits you'll receive will help you increase your patient base, maintain a competitive edge in your market and grow your practice. You'll build your reputation and reduce the time it takes to perform refractive surgery procedures — and, yes, you'll save money. In the following series of articles, refractive surgeons and practice management experts discuss how your practice can become more efficient and productive to create a pleasant surgical experience for patients. They'll discuss the clinical benefits of investing in the Allegretto Wave® excimer laser system and the financial considerations involved to help you glean the highest return on your investment. |
Charles R. Moore, M.D., F.A.C.S., founder of International EyeCare Laser Center, Houston, agrees that designating certain staff members to handle refractive surgery patients or nonrefractive patients is the best approach to take. "They're two completely different patient demographics, and they don't mix well," Dr. Moore says. "It's more difficult for a surgeon to go from a Medicare patient to a refractive patient, and vice versa. So if you can isolate refractive surgery patients, you'll improve efficiency and boost productivity."
Streamline Scheduling
Another way to improve efficiency is to set aside blocks of time for potential refractive surgery patients so they can come in at a moment's notice. For instance, instead of having candidates stop wearing their contact lenses for a certain period of time before they come in to see you, schedule their evaluation immediately, even though they'll need to return for one more visit before surgery, says Warren J. Luster, practice management consultant, Luster Marketing Group, Newport, R.I. "This creates an opportunity for the prospective patient to build a relationship with you at the initial visit. When there are barriers in your scheduling at an early stage in the surgical process, you limit yourself and you risk losing patients," he says.
To help speed up the surgical process, perform presurgical testing on a separate day before surgery, says Alisa Larrabee, practice development consultant and owner of Refractive Advantage Management, Richmond, Va. "If you perform the tests on the day of surgery, patients will have a longer wait. And test results may force you to cancel the procedure. This will disappoint patients who've taken time out of their busy schedules, and it'll hurt the surgeon's bottom line."
Staff Training
Creating a pleasant surgical experience for patients also involves training your staff. Employees need to know how to effectively communicate with people on the phone and in person to help the practice run more smoothly. You want your staff to be friendly, courteous and knowledgeable about refractive surgery so they can answer a wide variety of questions. In addition, you want staff to develop the skills needed to convince someone who's inquiring about refractive surgery to come into your office for a complimentary evaluation. "It takes a certain personality to convert a caller into a potential patient who's willing to come in to have his eyes evaluated for a procedure," Dr. Born says. "That type of individual usually isn't found in a general ophthalmology practice. It's the type of person who's used to working in sales or customer service."
| Reality Check
Because competing ophthalmology practices continue to adopt new laser technology, clinicians should expect to upgrade their laser systems every 3 to 5 years, says Christopher P. Born, M.D., Gundersen Lutheran Eye Institute, La Crosse, Wis. "You can't avoid the costs." When you're looking to purchase a laser, it's a good idea to visit a practice where the laser already is being used, says Charles R. Moore, M.D., F.A.C.S., founder of International EyeCare Laser Center, Houston. "Visiting a practice to see the laser firsthand is much more productive than simply reading sales literature or talking to sales personnel," he says. If you've been using a surgery center to perform laser procedures, consider the advantages of bringing the laser in-house. Also, calculate what it's costing you to perform procedures now. "Surgeons who use an outside facility for refractive surgery obviously must pay to use it for each procedure," Dr. Born says. "They also incur costs for lost clinic time from traveling to the facility. And they have efficiency because they're not using their own personnel. An efficient practice can use the downtime on procedure days to see other patients." In addition, as surgeons increasingly use other refractive technologies, such as clear lens extraction and multifocal implants, you'll be doing more enhancements on patients who weren't originally LASIK patients. "So you must be able to efficiently provide these enhancements for patients at a minimal cost to you, regardless of whether the enhancement is part of the original procedure," Dr. Born says. "Any time there's an improvement in technique or technology, you encounter a new wave of patients who wish to undergo the surgery," says Warren J. Luster, practice management consultant, Luster Marketing Group, Newport, R.I. "You can't simply hold onto your old platform forever and expect that you're going to capture the same patients. Their awareness grows, and they're looking for something new." |
Because consultations are free, you should be able to convert about 75% to 80% of people who inquire about refractive surgery if you have a well-trained staff that can answer questions with confidence, Ms. Larrabee says.
Of course, after the person leaves your office, it's important to have your staff follow up within 3 to 4 days to answer questions and allay fears. "Follow-up calls are really important. They make a huge difference in your conversion rate," Ms. Larrabee says.
| What sets the Allegretto Wave laser apart from other systems that primarily emphasize wavefront-guided LASIK is that it enables clinicians to produce better visual outcomes. |
Choosing Candidates
You can improve efficiency by knowing how to which patients are candidates for Wavefront OptimizedTM LASIK and feeling comfortable that the visual outcomes will be as good or better than if you performed wavefront-guided LASIK, Dr. Moore says. Patients are good candidates if their eyes are healthy and they have realistic expectations about their visual outcomes. "If their eyes are healthy, we can create simulations to show them how much their vision can improve if they have the procedure," he explains.
Marketing Effectively
Developing a sound marketing message that's meaningful can create a pleasant surgical experience for patients. For example, patients may not care whether or not you have the fastest laser, but you'll pique their interest if you tell them that a faster laser provides better outcomes after the procedure, Mr. Luster says.
If you can tell patients that you have the best possible technology, which provides superior outcomes with fewer enhancements, you'll send a powerful message. "Whether you like to admit it or not, even if you counsel the patient on the front end, enhancements translate into diminished referrals," Mr. Luster says. If patients require enhancements, their friends will think the surgery didn't work. "That's what the public is hearing. So if you can use a technology that provides better outcomes from the start, you'll get more word-of-mouth referrals. And that's one of the keys to growing your practice."
Cory M. Lessner, M.D., Millenium Laser Eye Center, Sunrise, Fla., suggests tapping into your internal patient database and sending out direct mailings to let patients know you have the new technology and how it can improve their vision. "You also can tell patients about the new laser when they come in for routine eye care, play a video loop in the reception area and introduce them to a refractive surgery counselor." ■
Introducing the Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser System
Clinicians discuss the benefits of Wavefront OptimizedTM LASIK, which can produce better outcomes and save you time, money.
If you want to reduce the time it takes to perform a refractive laser procedure — and save money — you may want to consider investing in the Allegretto Wave excimer laser system from WaveLight AG. This Wavefront Optimized laser uses invisible ultraviolet (UV) light pulses to remove precise amounts of corneal tissue from the eye to reduce or eliminate myopia and hyperopia, with or without astigmatism.
What sets the Allegretto Wave laser apart from other systems that primarily emphasize wavefront-guided LASIK is that it enables clinicians to produce better visual outcomes in less time and with fewer retreatments.1 Plus, it saves money long-term. Read on to find out what clinicians and practice management experts think about the Allegretto Wave laser and how it has benefited their practices.
Better Visual Outcomes
When Cory M. Lessner, M.D., of Millenium Laser Eye Centers, in Sunrise, Fla., compared his custom LASIK data to that of the Allegretto Wave excimer laser system, he found the results from the Allegretto Wave were statistically better in all ranges of prescriptions (with or without astigmatism). With the Allegretto Wave laser, 50% or more of Dr. Lessner's patients say they see better the day after surgery than they ever did before.
Christopher P. Born, M.D., Gundersen Lutheran Eye Institute, La Crosse, Wis., says he achieves better results with the Allegretto Wave laser compared with his older wavefront-guided system. "Our enhancement rate has dropped from about 7% to 8% to 1% to 2%," he says. In addition, his practice saves an estimated $50,000 to $70,000 a year in royalties, paying only $150 per procedure. "Plus, we've reduced the number of follow-up visits," Dr. Born says. "When a patient walks in the next day at 20/15, you don't need many follow-up visits to ensure everything is going well."
In addition, patients treated with the Allegretto laser have a low incidence of glare and other night-time related complications, according to Warren J. Luster, practice management consultant, Luster Marketing Group, Newport, R.I. "We find that once physicians inform patients about the laser's unique FDA labeling, they're willing to pay a premium for the technology," he says.
"The Allegretto Wave is different from other lasers in this country because it was created to produce higher-quality vision," says Alisa Larrabee, practice development consultant and owner of Refractive Advantage Management, Richmond, Va. "When I work in practices that own the Allegretto Wave laser, it's common to hear patients say their vision is better than when they wore contact lenses or eyeglasses. The Allegretto tries to keep the natural shape of the cornea during treatment, and this helps produce better visual outcomes in terms of reducing glare and halos."
"It's difficult for me to walk into a practitioner's office that has out-of-date technology and watch the doctors turn down patients who easily can receive the services they need with a different laser," Ms. Larrabee says. "For a long time, hyperopic patients who wanted refractive surgery were told they wouldn't experience good visual outcomes. However, hyperopes get outstanding results when physicians use the Allegretto Wave."
The Allegretto Wave laser received FDA approval to correct up to 12.00D of myopia with up to 6.00D of astigmatism, and 6.00D of hyperopia with up to 5.00D of astigmatism, including mixed astigmatism — making almost all patients who wear eyeglasses for distance vision candidates for the surgery using the Allegretto Wave laser.
Time Saver
Because of the advanced technology of the Allegretto Wave laser, you can save time performing refractive procedures. The 200-Hz laser corrects 1.00D in approximately 4 seconds, and the 400-Hz Allegretto Eye-Q corrects 1.00D in approximately 2 seconds. "With my previous laser, I could process four to five patients or eight to 10 eyes per hour on a standard laser day," says Charles R. Moore, M.D., F.A.C.S, founder of International EyeCare Laser Center, Houston. "With the Allegretto Eye-Q, I can perform surgery on seven patients per hour." In addition, he says, patients experience faster visual recovery when he uses the Allegretto Wave laser.
| This Wavefront OptimizedTM laser uses invisible ultraviolet (UV) light pulses to remove precise amounts of corneal tissue from the eye to reduce or eliminate myopia and hyperopia, with or without astigmatism. |
The Wavefront Optimized laser also requires less than half the time to prep patients on the day of surgery, because you no longer need to capture wavefront images, Dr. Born says. "So we've reduced the amount of technician time needed for each procedure."
Eliminating the need to capture images has been a huge time saver for Dr. Lessner, who uses the IntraLase laser (IntraLase Corp., Irvine, Calif.) to create flaps. "Cutting out that extra step improves patient flow on the day of surgery. Many doctors are using the IntraLase to create flaps. You're performing four procedures on every patient — two on each eye," he says.
The Wavefront Optimized laser also requires less chair time for post-op follow-up visits. "You get the same excellent results in an overwhelming number of patients," Dr. Moore says. "To me, that's the primary reason a practice shouldn't be without a laser that's capable of doing Wavefront Optimized procedures. The Allegretto Wave laser is the only one that can do that."
Maintain Margins
From a business standpoint, the advanced technology of the Allegretto Wave laser enables clinicians to maintain procedure prices and, therefore, their margins. More and more patients understand they get what they pay for, and that providing better technology costs a little more, Mr. Luster says. ■
1. The Allegretto Wave also offers as an option the treatment of myopia with wavefront-guided LASIK.
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