Refractive surgery practices today are at a pivotal point within the field of Ophthalmology. These practices offer a combination of clinical consultation and surgical care for patients opting for elective—and often expensive—procedures. However, reaching these patients at the right time with the right message requires a finely tuned marketing strategy. Equally important is a well-organized operation that supports each step of the patient journey.
Understanding your target audience and tailoring your messaging to resonate with each patient is essential, as is creating a well-oiled system to optimize the patient experience at every touchpoint. This article outlines the steps to build a practice that not only markets to patients effectively but also nurtures them through the journey—educating, addressing their concerns, and preparing them for life-changing decisions.
Understanding the Patient Journey
Patients considering refractive surgery are seeking solutions to vision problems, but their journey is rarely straightforward. They face a range of options, risks, benefits, and potential impacts on their daily lives. As practitioners, we are not just guides through this journey; we are educators—helping patients understand the value these procedures bring to their lives. Our role is to educate on options but more importantly, to help the patient give themselves permission to invest in themselves.
Marketing refractive surgery goes beyond promoting the technology or the surgery itself; it involves understanding the deeper needs of the patient. What motivates them to seek surgery? What are their fears, hopes, and concerns? Tailoring your message requires delving into these aspects. A single message doesn’t fit all. For instance, different age groups may have different concerns and desires. Addressing these differences through careful segmentation is crucial for success. Reach those patients who are actively seeking solutions and create an environment that fosters trust and value.
Creating a Comprehensive Marketing Strategy
Building a successful marketing strategy for refractive surgery requires more than just promoting a procedure through digital marketing, social media, websites and print collateral. The focus should be on fostering an environment that prepares patients, sets realistic expectations and builds trust. Here are 8 key steps to build a thriving practice with growing procedure volume and strong patient satisfaction.
1. Understanding your brand and unique offer. Your brand should align with your messaging, facilities and staff. Ask yourself: What makes your practice stand out? Are you offering a unique surgical approach, specialized care or exceptional patient service? Also, if you were a patient unfamiliar with ophthalmology, would your communication and each visit instill trust and value? Once you've identified your brand, it’s crucial to communicate it effectively through all marketing touchpoints.
2. Mapping the patient journey. One of the most critical steps in your strategy is mapping the patient journey. From first awareness to post-surgery follow-up, understanding each patient touchpoint is essential. Mapping the journey allows you to identify areas to engage with patients and address potential pain points. More importantly, it ensures you’re delivering relevant messages at the right time, fostering patient education and informed decision-making. For instance, a patient referred by a doctor may trust your practice immediately, while a patient who finds you via social media may still be in the research phase, potentially price shopping. Similarly, a patient in their late 60s will have different values and needs compared to a patient in their 30s.
3. Operations and marketing integration. While marketing is crucial for generating leads, your practice’s operations must be prepared to handle that influx efficiently. Without operational alignment, marketing dollars may go to waste. Ensure that staffing, scheduling, and overall capacity align with your marketing goals to maximize conversion rates and create a sustainable growth cycle. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- What is your marketing budget and plan for the year?
- Is there enough space, surgical exam spots and staff to meet your goals?
- Do you have dedicated patient educators and educational tools?
- Can you offer virtual and on-site consultations?
- Do you offer easy and affordable payment plans?
- Are you able to track and measure your analytics?
There is a clear correlation between effective operations and strong marketing efforts leading to higher conversion rates and revenue growth. Practices with a solid marketing strategy combined with operational efficiency drive business success. Using customer relationship management (CRM) and engagement tools can help you measure/monitor your incremental progress.
4. CRM and engagement tools to enhance communication. A well-integrated CRM system is vital to successful marketing and patient engagement in refractive surgery. When used effectively, CRM ensures that every patient interaction is personalized, timely, and relevant, helping guide them through their journey from inquiry to post-operative care.
Streamlining Communication with CRM
A combination of CRM tools/personalized communication can maintain consistent, relevant contact with patients. While CRM allows for automated, personalized messages at key touchpoints, personal phone calls or virtual meetings ensure that patients fully understand the information and feel heard. This mix of automation and live communication yields the highest conversion rates.
Ensure that your team—counselors, patient educators and staff—are actively involved in pre-appointment communications to elective service patients, confirming appointments, ensuring educational links have been received, and preparing patients for what to expect. If you do not have the internal resources to communicate in this way, you may need to seek external help. It’s worth it to invest in this combination of automated and personal communication.
Cataract surgery is elective. Bundled into this is clear lens exchange and Lasik procedures. The telephone staff must also be part of this communication as they are often the first people to address calls when the appointment is made. This is especially true for those referred by another eyecare provider.
Key CRM tools:
• Pre-appointment communications: Automated reminders, appointment details, and preparation instructions help reduce no-shows and increase preparedness.
• Educational content delivery: Sending personalized materials (videos, articles, patient testimonials) prepares patients for their upcoming procedure, increasing their comfort and confidence
• Follow-up surveys and feedback requests: Post-surgery, automatically send surveys to gather feedback, improve your services, and ensure patient satisfaction with their experience. The journey is not over after surgery. Create raving fans for life.
5. Communication and engagement. Effective communication is essential to patient engagement. Your team must be trained to listen to patient concerns, educate them on options, and ensure they feel supported throughout their journey. Consistent follow-ups and engagement build trust and encourage loyalty, fostering both conversions and word-of-mouth referrals.
Consider returning to the On-Site seminars or Virtual Webinars. Webinars work for the right audience. As the world continues to embrace flexibility and convenience in every aspect of life, education is no exception. One significant shift has been the resurgence of virtual webinars, which offer unique advantages for both educators and learners alike. With the continued advancement of technology and changing audience needs, there are practices that have returned to virtual educational webinars. With webinars there are distinct benefits that are reshaping how knowledge is shared and absorbed. You can reach a much broader audience, and patients can learn in the comfort of their home without the distractions and anxiety that comes with an in-office evaluation. The webinar also provides an opportunity for a family member to be part of the discussion.
Maximize the educational, marketing and operational support your vendor partners offer. There is no need to re-invent the wheel.
Monthly educational programs for your staff can help them learn about everything from procedure options to delivering financing solutions. Incorporate refractive surgery education into your staff onboarding process, ensuring every team member is equipped to engage with elective surgery patients. Your team is your best referral source. They need to understand the many refractive options available and appreciate how these options can not only improve your patient’s lifestyle, but expand their world, keep them safe and, in some cases, delay the early onset of dementia. (To learn more, visit https://www.aao.org/education/editors-choice/cataract-surgery-may-provide-long-term-protective- and https://www.aao.org/newsroom/news-releases/detail/cataract-surgery-it-could-save-your-life)
6. Creating value and delivering results. The foundation of a successful refractive surgery marketing strategy is demonstrating value. It’s not just about selling a technology or a procedure; it’s about conveying how the procedure will improve the patient's quality of life. Refer to patient education videos, testimonials, and even google reviews to provide a clear explanation of benefits and risks to illustrate the value. Transparency, honesty, and a deep understanding of the patient’s needs are key to building trust.
7. Financial options: Making refractive surgery accessible.
When it comes to the cost and pricing of refractive surgery, it’s important to understand that the decision to spend money is not about your feelings or judgments—it’s about the patient’s financial situation and their willingness to invest in their vision. It is not your role to decide if a patient wants to use a financing plan; rather, it is your job to present the options clearly and allow them to make the decision.
If you are transparent and upfront about pricing, and the patient perceives the procedure as valuable, they are likely to move forward. Your responsibility is to provide accessible, easy-to-understand financing options and payment plans that make these life-changing procedures more attainable.
The challenge for many patients is not necessarily the price you’ve set for the procedure but determining how they can pay for it. It is vital to offer a range of financing options that cater to different financial situations, ensuring that patients feel empowered to make a decision that works for them. This helps patients view the investment in their vision as achievable and worthwhile.
8. Measuring and monitoring success. No marketing strategy is complete without monitoring performance. Use analytics and scorecards to assess which strategies generate the most leads, conversions, and patient satisfaction. Insights from this data allow you to refine and improve your marketing efforts to meet your audience's evolving needs. (See Sidebar)
Conclusion: Putting the Patient First
Marketing refractive surgery is not just about advertising a procedure. It’s about understanding the patient journey and guiding them toward informed, confident decisions. As a provider, your role is not just to recommend procedures but to empower patients to take charge of their vision, making choices that align with their life goals. By educating, listening, and offering financial flexibility, you help patients see the value in investing in their health, leading to long-term satisfaction and trust. Ultimately, this approach builds lasting relationships and drives the growth of your practice. OP
