Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Premium IOL's, Who's on First?

  1. #1
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Brighton
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    7

    Question Premium IOL's, Who's on First?

    Something the practice I work for is still grappling with, and I thought the community would have good thoughts on this...

    Who should be the first to mention premium iol's (more specifically the cost of premium iol's) to cataract patients? I should mention that we are a group practice with OD's MD's etc. all in-house (sx center too!).

    We try to do it in the first mailing we send new patients prior to their appt, but when it comes to the office visit it has up until now been the M.D.

    Do others have the techs do it? Sticker shock is often great and currently our M.D.'s are doing a better job of handling that...

    What do others do?

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Only City in the World built over a Volcano
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,996
    The thought of advertising surgery is abhorent.

  3. #3
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Brighton
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    7
    I felt the same way once, so I can respect that, but would respond that advertising vs informing depends on ones perspective.

    To be clear though, we are not mailing them randomly (advertising)...they are for pts who have scheduled with us for a cataract evaluation (informing)...

    It saves office time, which helps lower costs for us, and for the patients.

  4. #4
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Only City in the World built over a Volcano
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,996
    Saving office time doesn't lower costs, it just lets you go home earlier and make more sales while you are there.
    One can rationalize anything and one usually does if it's profitable.
    Besides, everyone else does it so it must be O.K., right?

    Chip

  5. #5
    Bad address email on file
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Brighton
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    7
    Chip,

    Respectfully, it does lower costs. But maybe that is a lesson for another day. But hey, could not help but notice the tone...

    What up, got an issue?

    I mean, sounds like you need a hug or something...very cynical...imo

  6. #6
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Only City in the World built over a Volcano
    Occupation
    Dispensing Optician
    Posts
    12,996
    Very synical I guess. I just get reviled when I see what some parts of medicine, especially ophthalmic medicine have evolved to. Here we are advertising medicine. Telling people that they can have the expensive implant, but for just twice as much money they can have the more expensive high tech version.
    If you are going to repair a human body, you should do the best job possible with the best parts and equipment available reguardless of ability to pay.
    I would never use a "discount" contact, or make a sloppy eye just because the money wasn't right. If I can't do my best, I don't do it at all.

    Reminds me of the ophthalmologist (this was back when ophthamologist had not sub-specialized as they are today) told me that he did the ennucleation (simple sphere with muscles sewed on top) the way he did because he learned in a charity hospital and he could do it this way in 12 minites where doing a good job with an Allen took 45. Said he would rather have the extra time at the Yacht club.
    Now all his patients were doomed to have shifted implants with a prosthesis that was razor thin on one side and quite thick on the other. Have to have this modified yearly as the implant shifted and hopefully some of them would die before the muscles slipped behind the implant and extruded it (Oh, excuse me back in the day this was called a plastic allergy.)

    Forty or 59 years of this, and seeing frames go from a devise that could last 30 plus years to two. Lenses that warp, scratch and won't last a year replace glass.

    Yeah, I guess I get a little cynical. And yes, I could rant on other aspects of our "evolution" to enlightenment to fill a volume or two of War and Pease.

    Chip

  7. #7
    Bad address email on file Kornika's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    16

    In my practice ...

    It is first the work-up tech's responsibility to mention the lens options (we use ReStor, ReZoom, Crystalens, torics, and the conventional lens).

    I usually mention it after I tell the patient that I will be escorting them to the sub-waiting area to dilate, after which the scribe will call them back to see the doctor and at that time, the OMD will discuss the patients needs, wants, and options including the different lenses -- many of which will reduce dependency on glasses at distance, near, and intermediately.

    When they see the doctor, he goes in depth about the IOL options and tells them the cost above and beyond what insurance will cover -- making sure to stress the fact that regardless of what lens option they choose, the procedure and level of service/care will remain the same. Some patients choose right then and there, others opt to think about it. Either way, once they've made it to their A-scan appointment, they will have decided.

    I don't know what our "conversion" rate is but I've found that most of the patients will talk amongst themselves while waiting and those that choose the "premium" IOL have done so based on what they've heard via word-of-mouth.

  8. #8
    Bad address email on file Kornika's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Occupation
    Ophthalmic Technician
    Posts
    16
    Addendum to previous post:

    My OMD always makes a recommendation on which lens he thinks would be best for the patient with their ocular and personal history taken into account and will NEVER encourage a patient who he feels would not benefit from a multi-focal or accommodating lens into having one implanted.

    For those that he recommends a "conventional" IOL to, he still goes over the other options as we have had patients complain that they were never told about the other choices they have.

  9. #9
    Master OptiBoarder
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    new york
    Occupation
    Optometrist
    Posts
    3,749
    I've seen some good results with toric IOLs, but for the most part, I think multi-focal and accomodating IOLs are not worth it. Did you ever work with soft multi-focal CLs? Most people are not happy and the ones that are, are blurred worse than 20/40 and J4, and they just don't realize it.

    I have found that many people with standard IOLs can read 20/25 at distance and J2 at near (uncorrected), all other things being equal, while the folks with the MF IOLs read 20/40 at distance and j2 at near.

    I also agree that it is somewhat unethical to put a patient who is about to make a decision to undergo surgery, in a position where they feel that if they "cheap out" they might ruin their eyes.

    I don't understand how we can advise patients to get them, at substantial extra cost, when we don't even know that they will be better for them. At least with MF CLs, you can change or remove them easily if they don't perform. My dislike of MF IOLs is not based on cynicism, but on performance.
    Last edited by fjpod; 09-24-2008 at 05:12 AM. Reason: spelling

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Premium AR Comparison Info
    By dfoy in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-27-2005, 02:47 PM
  2. Premium Progressive of choice
    By Oha in forum General Optics and Eyecare Discussion Forum
    Replies: 21
    Last Post: 11-21-2003, 06:35 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •