Fighting the Recession: 3D OCT-1000 in a Private Optometric Practice
Posted on Wed, Nov 11, 2009
From Our Contributor
Since the financial crisis of 2007, there has been significant concern among private optometric practices trying to keep afloat. Having been established for over 20 years, the doctors at Perry Eye Care in Orlando, Florida have found that investing in Topcon Medical System's 3D OCT-1000 has contributed significantly to their battle against the recession, and has resulted in an increase in revenue.
Being in private practice, optometric physician Dr. Mark Perry and his colleagues at Perry Eye Care, Dr. Karen Perry and Dr. Juan Menjivar, had to refer patients out if they were dealing with medical disorders such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma or macular degeneration. But since investing in the 3D OCT-1000 in December 2008, they have been able to provide on-site care to these patients, opening new opportunities within the practice.
In a large metropolitan area populated with several optometric practices, competition has been fierce, and so Dr. Mark and his colleagues saw it necessary to differentiate their approach to eye care by promoting medical optometry and serving a larger segment of the population. Since purchasing the 3D OCT-1000, the Perry Eye Care team has been able to fulfil this by offering patients high-speed Fourier domain OCT imaging with an integrated digital fundus camera that has substantially improved diagnostic imaging.
There has since been an increase in the number of services available for patients at Perry Eye Care "Prior to having the OCT, we referred a lot of our patients out for analysis of diseases like age-related macular degeneration," says Dr. Mark. "But with the 3D OCT we no longer need to send patients away. There is an increased awareness that we offer more than just eyeglasses and contact lenses within our practice."
In addition to the significant clinical value, the 3D OCT-1000 is also useful for improving patient education and compliance as well as contributing to the image of the practice, says Dr. Karen. "With the introduction of the 3D OCT-1000 we noticed a significant difference in the standard of care we offer, which helped the staff gain confidence in knowing that we deliver a unique level of concern for our patients and how we differentiate ourselves from other practices. Patients now distinguish our practice from others at a higher level. Furthermore, this technology has been very valuable for the patient's understanding of ocular disease, in addition to their perception of our practice," she says.
The clinical and financial value of the 3D OCT-1000 for private optometric practices can be multifaceted. According to Dr Menjivar, at Perry Eye Care the 3D OCT-1000 has contributed significantly to increased revenue, by enhancing the public image of the practice, as one that provides a high standard of care with state-of-the-art technology that is effective, efficient and comprehensive: "Patients that come into our practice see that we're on the cutting edge, and that we're trying to do the best we can to take care of our patients - and they show their appreciation for this."
Perry Eye Care's Top Tips to Stay Afloat
- Technology: invest in new devices that help to improve the level of care and reinforce positive perceptions of your practice
- Demographics: Understand the dynamics of the trends in the population - what do they need?
- Billing: Find out more about medical plans and billing procedures, particularly on billing for OCT and fundus images, to provide an additional stream of revenue
- Education: Make a commitment to your staff and patients so that they are well-informed and aware of what the practice does