Eyeworld

cataract practice July 2017 • Ophthalmology Business 7 that you will need glasses for some things." 8. Be clear about price. Dr. Hovane- sian thinks it is the physician who should broach the subject of price with patients because of his or her trustworthy role within the practice. This is what he will typically say to a patient: can pass a driver's test and read the newspaper without wearing glasses. He also sets the expectation that they may need to use reading glasses from time to time for tasks such as reading a medication bottle. "We don't have an implant that will make you 21 years old again with perfect vision, a perfect face, and a perfect body," Dr. Hovanesian tells patients. "Accept 4. Understand the patient's perspec- tive. "They assume their vision will stay the same," Dr. Hovanesian said. A myope will assume they will still be able to see up close, and a hyperope will assume that distance vision is maintained. As you review options, focus on choices that help patients maintain their visual area of strength, to boost patient satisfaction. 5. Offer more than one type of implant, but focus mainly on the IOL you recommend for them. Again, this addresses the importance of educating patients about their various options, Dr. Hovanesian said. "You shortchange opportunities if you don't offer more than one IOL type," he said. However, you don't want to overwhelm patients, which is why you should focus the most on the IOL type that is potentially right for the patient. Dr. Hovanesian cautioned against using the word premium. The term is used a lot with multifocal and accommodating IOLs, but he has seen it as a turn-off for many elderly patients, who tend to say they just want what's standard. An alternative phrase you could use is high-tech. 6. Keep it simple. Patients want to know how good the IOL is, how long the crisp vision with the chosen IOL will last, and any downsides. Although educating about options is crucial, bogging them down with details is not. 7. Be unapologetic about IOL lim- itations. "Anticipate sources of dis- satisfaction," Dr. Hovanesian advised. He'll let patients know that 90% of patients with high-tech technology 5 bonus pearls to grow your practice with refractive cataract surgery • Plant the idea of premium technology with a questionnaire about vision goals. A questionnaire can help you spot areas of interest related to refractive cataract surgery. • Think about how you would explain refractive cataract options to your mother or father, Mr. Corcoran said. "You want to be clear, answer questions, and be truthful. Think of a way you can explain this in under 30 seconds," he recommended. • Address astigmatism during surgery to boost patient satisfaction, Dr. Hardten advised. "They're not going to be happy if they are 20/40 and have some astigmatism," he said. • Have a plan for unhappy patients, Dr. Hardten suggested. With expectations high from patients who pay out of pocket, be ready to respond to them thoughtfully. In fact, Dr. Hardten likens presbyopic IOL treatment to a chess game, where you always need to think a couple steps ahead of the patient in terms of their satisfaction. • Wait on postop enhancements. Dr. Hardten generally waits about 1 to 2 months for IOL rotation or exchange and 3 to 6 months for laser vision correction. If patients are still unhappy and think they want a monofocal IOL exchange, he will let them know it's possible but that they'll still need reading glasses more regularly. Sometimes just offering that as an option prompts patients to rethink things and stick with what they have. When Dr. Hardten does need to exchange a presbyopic IOL he inserted when a patient wants a monofocal instead due to issues, he will not charge the patient for it. continued on page 9

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