EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/274531
unlikely to rival that of the rental company. I believe the majority of practices performing under 1,500 to 2,000 cases annually will have a hard time profiting from ownership once maintenance costs are factored in. Upgrades Practices should also consider the frequency of upgrades with the equipment they are considering pur- chasing or renting. Having the latest equipment is a vital piece of provid- ing patients with the best possible care, so practices are obviously moti- vated to stay on the cutting edge of technology. One serious drawback o f purchasing a laser is its potential to someday end up as what I call a "boat anchor." Practices that pur- chase a laser must continually invest in upgrades, but even then may still find their technology obsolete after the introduction of newer technol- ogy. Renting offers many advantages in this area, allowing practices to upgrade to new equipment as they s ee fit. Our rental agreement gives us the option to upgrade to any new technology within 30 days of its availability. It is a very valuable Ophthalmology Business 92 February 2014 b enefit in terms of practice market- ing to be able to assure patients that our laser technology is truly "cutting edge." Access to expertise One final aspect to weigh in a d ecision between purchasing and renting equipment is your practice's ability to consult with the rental company's panel of expert surgeons. This can be invaluable when evalu- ating and planning surgery for prob- lematic patients whose conditions or complications fall outside a sur- g eon's experience. Through our rental arrangement, we have access to a quality assurance team that pro- vides clinical support, surgeon con- sultations, and access to operational support personnel. While our refrac- tive surgeon is very experienced, we know that every patient and every case is unique, so having the ability t o call on outside expertise from some of the most respected leaders in our industry is simply priceless. Focusing your time I believe that physicians should concentrate on doing what they do best—practicing medicine. This is the reason that our practice utilizes a specialized billing agency, as well as a full time business manager, in addition to renting our laser tech- nology. Outsourcing services that can be handled by experts outside of your practice can free up staff time and resources, and allow employees to truly focus on their primary tasks. In the choice between owning and renting laser technology, practice administrators must carefully exam- ine not only the financial costs, but also the time investment required for each path. For our practice, and for most practices with one or two locations, renting equipment turns out to be the more sensible and eco- nomical choice, and also brings the patient advantages that come from offering the latest and most ad- vanced technology as it becomes available to the market. EW The indispensable tool for anterior segment analysis • Anterior and posterior corneal topography • 3D cataract analysis • Evaluation of corneal optical quality for premium IOLs • Holladay Report for post-refractive IOL calculations • NEW Iris camera and automatic HWTW measurement • NEW Belin/Ambrosio III, improved for hyperopic eyes • LASIK screening Visit OCULUS at Booth #920 Toll free 1-888-519-5375 www.oculususa.com sales@oculususa.com www.pentacam.com facebook.com / OCULUSusa OCULUS Pentacam ® /Pentacam ® HR Pride continued from page 91 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mr. Larson is the executive director of Vermont Eye Laser at New England Vision Correction. He has no financial interests related to this article. Mr. Larson can be contacted at randlarson@vteyelaser.com. 91-97 OB_EW February 2014-DL2_Layout 1 1/31/14 10:36 AM Page 92