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61 To close this educational gap, Dr. Durrie recommended bringing LVC patients back for an examina- tion, discussing presbyopia and dysfunctional lens syndrome. This also may increase word-of-mouth referrals. "We have seminars now for the dysfunctional lens syndrome," he said. "We're getting 20 to 25 people coming every time we do a seminar because they want to get rid of their reading glasses and their bifocals. Also, it's an excellent way to grow your practice and help people along the way." Dr. Durrie encourages refractive surgeons to check on their former patients. "Do something simple that can actually grow your practice," he said. "See your old patients, bring them back, and talk to them. They would love to see you." Dr. Dell can be contacted at steven@ dellmd.com, and Dr. Durrie can be contacted at Ddurrie@Durrievision. com. Growing your refractive practice Educating patients Daniel S. Durrie, MD, clinical pro- fessor of ophthalmology, University of Kansas, Overland Park, explained that inadequate patient education is one factor inhibiting the growth of the corneal refractive surgery market. Although 9 million people have had successful LASIK in the U.S., Dr. Durrie said, satisfied patients are not referring their friends and family. "Our results are great," he said. "We love doing the surgery, but we actually forget to bring them back and talk to them about the future of their eyes." Therefore, they have a number of misconceptions. For example, many believe LASIK wears off. "I hear it all the time," Dr. Durrie said. "People say, 'My dad had LASIK and he's back in glasses.'" The average age of patients having LASIK was 38 years. "Of those 9 million people who have had successful LASIK surgery in the U.S., 7.5 million of them are back in reading glasses," he said. Targeting Millennials Millennials account for a huge bubble in the population, outnum- bering Baby Boomers by 11 million, said Steven J. Dell, MD, Dell Laser Consultants, Austin, Texas. Although it will be some time before this group accounts for a significant portion of the laser vision correction (LVC) population, surgeons need to remember that a mind shift is required when speak- ing to these patients, Dr. Dell said. For example, surgeons should be very direct about risk. "Millenni- als demand transparency," he said (Figure 1). Furthermore, these patients should not need to wait. Some practices allow patients to make appointments online and offer evening and Saturday appointments for consults. Dr. Dell also recommends minimizing postoperative visits, if appropriate. "If someone is 20/15 on the first day postop, how many times do you need to see that pa- tient?" he said. Social media is an important component of marketing efforts for this population. His practice performed a social media-based campaign in 2014 to market LVC in conjunction with one of the laser manufacturers as a test pilot in Aus- tin, Texas, and three other markets, he said. This 7.5-month campaign, which consisted of online banner ads, paid search listings, Facebook, and Pandora, resulted in a 24% in- crease in LVC volume over the same period in 2013 (Figure 2). Surgeons need to examine how they communicate with patients at both ends of the age spectrum T o grow a refractive sur- gery practice, surgeons need to consider how Millennials will affect them and improve their patient education strategies, according to presentations during the 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress. Figure 1. Characteristics of Millennials Figure 2. Results of a 7.5-month marketing campaign relying on banner ads, paid search listings, Facebook, and Pandora Source: Steven J. Dell, MD Millennials • Demand transparency • Don't minimize risks • They will research online anyway • Don't make them wait • Online appointments • Evening, Saturday availability • Minimize postop visits • 1 day, 1 month • 24% increase in LVC volume over 2013 period • No change in price structure or any other significant variables • Cost per acquisition: $80 per eye Supported by a grant from Abbott Medical Optics " Our results are great. We love doing the surgery, but we actually forget to bring them back and talk to them about the future of their eyes. " –Daniel S. Durrie, MD Copyright 2015 ASCRS Ophthalmic Corporation. All rights reserved. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, editorial board, or the publisher, and in no way imply endorsement by EyeWorld or ASCRS.

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