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include families in the decision-making. "We typically bring patients'
families in with [the patient]," says Mr. Dawes. "We encourage as many
people to be involved in the decision as possible. It's better to get everybody on board from the beginning."
Setting the price
When it comes to setting prices, there are many factors to consider,
says Mr. Dawes — among them lenses, the surgeon's time, staff time,
equipment costs, and both pre- and post-operative costs. Then, of
course, there's the question of what patients are willing to pay.
"I periodically have done focus groups to determine what kind of
value people place on being able to see without glasses after cataract
surgery," says Mr. Dawes. "That's one of the ways we've set our pricing. Because we're one of the leaders in the market and the country in
terms of offering these new types of products, we don't always have
competitors to gauge ourselves against. So I've found it most productive to talk to potential patients and get their direct feedback."
Once the prices are set, they're set. "We don't discount. They're set
in stone," he says. The hardest part was getting started. "It requires a
lot of effort and time, days with sleeves rolled up and the commitment
to make things work."
And now? "If everything is properly executed, all of the tools that go
into creating a refractive cataract surgery program will definitely pay
for themselves," says Mr. Dawes. "It's all about the patient. Make the
patients happy and everything else will work itself out." OSM
E-mail jburger@outpatientsurgery.net.
