Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION December 2015 17 you're up to date, of course, but what they really want to know is, 'Is this something for me and who should I go to?'" Dr. Durries stressed the impor- tance of being cognizant of your online reputation. "That's important because hardly anyone comes to us who hasn't looked at our ratings," he said. "If you do not have 4.5 to 5 stars on everything that's out there, you're very unlikely to get the pa- tients." What's more, if patients are unhappy with something they paid for out of pocket, they're going to be fairly vocal. Dr. Kugler thinks that some practitioners may be scared off by social media because it is so frag- mented that they don't even know where to begin. "I think you start small," he said. "You can start con- versations on some sort of platform where you think your audience might be and be positive and au- thentic; just let it blossom natural- ly," Dr. Kugler said. EW Editors' note: Dr. Durrie has financial interests with AcuFocus. Dr. Kugler has no financial interests related to this article. Contact information Durrie: ddurrie@durrievision.com Kugler: lkugler@lasikomaha.com Posting preferences Dr. Kugler views social media as a way to engage customers and to listen to them. "It's an opportunity to spread information," he said. "If we're doing something new that they may not know about, it's a nice way to reach them." It can also be a way for patients to share stories with other patients about what they experience, he said, adding that while he mainly uses social media to reach his existing base, it can also be helpful in appealing to new patients. When Dr. Durrie uses social media, he tends to emphasize the benefits that patients can get from procedures. Since these are lifestyle procedures, he finds there are a cou- ple of things that practitioners need to highlight. "Patients want to know two things: 'Is it something I should be interested in?' and 'Who should I go to?'" Dr. Durrie said. When something new comes along like the KAMRA inlay (Acu- Focus, Irvine, Calif.), it may be fine to highlight this. However, when it's back to basics of why someone would not want reading glasses and bifocals, Dr. Durrie urged practi- tioners not to get too hung up on which laser is better. "The patients are not as concerned about that," he said. "They want to know that you have good technology and that A NEW ERA IN STERILE CORNEA ALLOGRAFTS EASY-PEEL PACKAGING Patented easy-peel packaging allows for quick introduction of sterile tissues to the surgical field, saving valuable OR time. 99.9% CLARITY Unlike traditional patches, Halo corneas are clear and will remain clear, resulting in simplified post-op assessment and improved patient cosmesis. STABLE STORAGE Halo tissues can remain at room temperature and never need reconstitution, so you'll always be ready for emergencies as well as scheduled procedures. Developed at Lions VisionGift's renowned Vision Research Laboratory, Halo sterile tissues provide surgeons with distinct procedural and cosmetic benefits. © Copyright 2015 Lions VisionGift and Stephens Instruments ( 800 ) 354-7848 stephensinst.com halo@stephensinst.com Distributed exclusively through For more information visit halograft.org " It seems like every month there's a new social media network, and it's like any marketing—you have to understand who your audience is and you have to figure out where they are and how you're going to message them through that medium. " –Lance J. Kugler, MD

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