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Shifting the marketing focus to a contemporary type of practice
With a cell phone glued to his ear, the young businessman stops.just short of the reception desk, turns around, and gazes absent-mindedly at a room full of senior citizens who stare back uncomfortably. He finishes his phone conversation, turns back toward the receptionist, and announces that he is therefor his 2 p.m. appointment (15 minutes late). She politely asks him to sign in, hands him a clipboard full of forms to complete, and tells him to have a seat. The only seat left is between two elderly ladies, one with a patch over her eye, the other smiling as though she really needs someone to talk to. He chooses to stand next to the table of cookies to complete the forms. Ten minutes and three phone calls later, he is back at the front desk complaining that his appointment was for 2 p.m. and demanding to know where the doctor is.
Such is the uncomfortable scenario of a traditional cataract practice trying to accommodate a patient for refractive-eye surgery. About 1.5 million refractive-eyesurgery procedures will be performed in the year 2000, according to some estimates, most by surgeons who also do cataract surgery. The Hillside Group, a major provider of patient financing for refractive-eye surgery, reports that about 2,000 of the 8,000 ophthalmic surgeons in this country are now doing refractive-eye surgery, and they project that number will grow to 3,000 by the end of next year.
Ophthalmic practices are faced with a real dilemma. Cataract patients have been their bread and butter for years; their offices are designed with cataract patients in mind; and their staffs are trained to deal with the older population. In fact, most cataract patients are not in a hurry and often enjoy the time spent in the reception area with others who will talk about grandchildren, Medicare, retirement, and travel. These patients trust their doctor and are not too concerned about the details of the cataract procedure. Many of their friends already had it performed and proclaim it nothing short of a miracle.
But the typical refractive eye-surgery patient, on the other hand, is usually under the age of 45, well-read about the new eye-surgery technology (many...