Eyeworld

6 Ophthalmology Business • July 2017 by Vanessa Caceres, Contributing Writer 10 tips to grow your refractive 1. Believe in the technology. This faith in refractive cataract technolo- gy should extend to everyone at the practice, from office staff to surgeons. "Develop enough comfort with the subject to take the hesitation out of your voice," Dr. Hovanesian said. Spend time discussing refractive cat- aract options with all patients even if they are not candidates, so they are at least aware of what's available. There is another important reason to discuss options with all patients, even if they are not candidates: This can help shed light on why their friend or neighbor has amazing vision with the help of a particular IOL, even if your patient doesn't qualify. 2. Understand how discussions with patients help identify better vision goals. The desire for better vision with premium lenses is some- thing that Dr. Hovanesian likens to smartphone use. In other words, everyone lived without smartphones before, but most people would be hard pressed to give up that tech- nology now. Similarly, many people will say that they are satisfied with their vision in glasses and don't mind wearing them. Still, "we need to edu- cate patients about what's possible," he said. 3. Designate the doctor as the edu- cator about premium technology. Although physicians may sometimes feel as though they are coming off like a salesperson when they discuss the technology, Dr. Hovanesian reframes this to focus on the physi- cian's role as an educator. The phy- sician has the most trusted role in a practice, which also means he or she should take the lead in education. Institute, University of California, Los Angeles. During the 2017 ASCRS• ASOA Symposium & Congress, Dr. Hovanesian shared pearls on the topic during the session "Secrets of Highly Successful Refractive Cataract Practices." David Hardten, MD, Minnesota Eye Consultants, Minne- apolis, and Kevin Corcoran, COE, CPC, Corcoran Consulting Group, San Bernardino, California, also shared insights. Here are 10 tips from Dr. Hovanesian. Provide consistent patient education, get all staff on board with premium technology B e ready to commit to refractive cataract surgery if that's how you want to grow your practice, rec- ommended John Hovanesian, MD, clinical instructor, Jules Stein Eye Dr. Hovanesian recommends surgeons become familiar with implanting different types of lenses because no technology is appropriate for all patients. He also suggests that surgeons let patients know there are different types of lenses, but make a recommendation for a specific lens to each patient. Source: John Hovanesian, MD Current Future

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