In the May issue of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today, Joel Gaslin, Sightpath Medical’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, discusses the changes occurring in ophthalmology that influence consumer experience.
Commit to your patients’ experiences
A dedication to service builds a connection.
By Joel Gaslin
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou
Today’s ophthalmology practice faces many challenges that did not exist 20 years ago. Social media, mobile devices, and a changing patient base have combined to create a new landscape.
It used to be that patients arrived at the office, waited around for a few hours, had cataract surgery, achieved a postoperative result between 0.25 and 0.75 D of the target refraction, and accepted a limited range of vision after surgery. Everyone was happy.
Those days are gone. Patients now expect state-of-the-art technology, a spa-like office environment with free Wi-Fi, online access to their records, and immediate responses to their questions. They want to be educated about their options and why you are the best one to help them achieve the youthful vision that they seek.
Consumer Element
Today, there is a significant consumer element in the practice of ophthalmology. Whether attributable to the success of LASIK, advertising in general, or the rise of the baby boomer generation, this element is here to stay. Patients are becoming accustomed to supplementing their care with an out-of-pocket contribution.
I believe that, one day soon, everyone will view a Medicare or insurance payment as more of a subsidy than an entitlement. What I mean is that people will expect to have options, understand that they are in charge of determining the outcome that they seek, and recognize that freedom requires a personal investment. This is good for our industry.
The rest of the article is available at Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today.
Joel Gaslin is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Sightpath Medical. His professional background and interests lie in sales and marketing strategy, reorganization and execution. Goal oriented and positive thinking by nature, Joel has his sights set on leading the Sightpath Medical Sales and Marketing team to new heights of success.