Eyeworld

July 2016 • Ophthalmology Business 15 tice ready to recommend us and refer other patients to us," Dr. Piracha said. If you think a surgical observa- tion room would fit in well at your practice, here are a few things to consider. Explaining it to patients and family The rooms are usually presented in a straightforward manner, Dr. Shoemaker said. "We tell them we have observation rooms with a glass wall, microscope monitor, and narra- tor. I personally encourage each and every patient to take advantage of the opportunity and to bring their mobile device and record it," he said. Patients at both practices will sign a consent form to confirm the observation by others is OK. At John-Kenyon, 75% of LASIK patients have had someone viewing this year; at Center for Sight, 50% of cataract surgery patients accompanied by family or friends take advantage of the observation rooms. What happens in the room It's important to set up the room for a comfortable but educational experience for those present. Center for Sight's room has a glass window between the observation area and OR. There's also a digital screen in the room connected to the surgeon's mi- croscope to provide a view from the surgeon's perspective. There's a large model eye in the room that a narra- tor will use as necessary to explain where the cataract is located and how the lens is inserted. There's a similar setup at John-Kenyon, with Dr. Piracha not- ing that the viewing room is well insulated, so those in the observation room do not hear anything from the laser room. Additionally, staff in the laser room do not see or hear anything from the observation room (which has 1-way glass), so the sur- geon and staff are not distracted. A key component of the obser- vation room experience is having a narrator to answer questions or to explain what is happening, both Drs. Shoemaker and Piracha said. "Provid- ing a 'hand holder' for the family or friend is just as important as provid- ing it for the patient," Dr. Piracha said. At John-Kenyon, the observer is able to sit with the patient prior to the start of the procedure. Once in the surgical observation room, the manager of refractive surgery will explain each step of the proce- dure. That same person points out the accuracy and safety of each laser and talks about different parts of the process, such as why the surgeon creates a corneal flap for LASIK. This is also the time they will go over the postop recovery process and answer any questions the observer may have. The observer then joins the patient again in the post-procedure room to go over postop instructions. The manager of refractive ser- vices will also use the time in the room to ask how the patient was referred to John-Kenyon and to hear any compliments or complaints. "We always look for opportunities to thank them for choosing us and allowing us the privilege of taking care of their vision needs," Dr. Piracha said. What observers ask or say Naturally, observers want to know how surgery feels. "Most inquiries relate to how the patient is feeling during each step of the process and questions regarding the instruments being used," Dr. Shoemaker said. This is where the visual aids in the room, such as the large eye model and the sample intraocular lens, come in handy. "We find that viewers are in awe of the precise and controlled move- ments the surgeon makes throughout the procedure," Dr. Shoemaker said. Often, observers return if there is a second eye scheduled for surgery at a later date. However, at that point, they usually don't need the full narra- tion as they did the first time around. "While some folks may be hesi- tant to watch, they are always amazed at the speed of the lasers and the quickness of the process," Dr. Piracha said. Marketing surgical observation areas The surgical observation room at John-Kenyon is promoted on the day of surgery as an added benefit. In ad- dition to internal marketing, Center for Sight sent out a press re- lease earlier this year to tout their sur- gical observation area and the ability to record surgery. The release led to some local coverage. OB Contact information Piracha: hayley@boxcarpr.com Shoemaker: mrossnagle@centerforsight.net " We wanted to offer a viewing room to create an exceptional experience for both the patient and their family and friends who accompany them on the day of their procedure. " Asim Piracha, MD

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