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Glorious september sunshine greeted the thousands of delegates who gathered in Barcelona this week for the XXVii Congress of the EsCrs. This year’s congress, which also incorporates the 1st World Congress of Paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus (WCPos), is taking place in the CCiB Congress Centre in the vibrant capital of Catalonia. Pre-registration information indicates that this year’s event will be one of the largest EsCrs congresses to date, with close to 6,000 ophthalmologists, nurses and technicians from more than 80 countries expected to attend. Paul rosen FrCs, FrCophth, president of EsCrs, is confident this year’s congress will build on the success of previous meetings in london, stockholm and Berlin. “We have made considerable progress in restructuring the organisation of the society to empower the Board and committees, so we can gain the most from the wealth of ability within the EsCrs membership. We have also refocused the Winter Meeting, introduced a Practice Development Programme, encouraged involvement from the Eu accession states and beyond, and broadened the scope of the congresses; we are partnering with WCPos this year and EurETiNA in 2010.” José Guell MD, incoming president of the EsCrs, said that the society is delighted to see the congress go from strength to strength and expressed his belief that the five-day meeting will prove to be a stimulating and informative forum for the international ophthalmic community. “Every year the challenge for the EsCrs is to host a congress that will highlight the latest innovations in ophthalmology and this year is no exception. Delegates can look forward to an excellent scientific programme with a variety of ‘hot topics’ that will generate a lot of comment and debate,” he said. looking to the future Dr rosen said it was important to keep abreast of the competition. “The key issues in the next year or two include maintaining the growth and increasing standards of the congresses in the face of ever increasing perceived competition, the introduction and use of new technologies, for example e-learning and managing any economic downturn. The incoming president Jose Guell is well equipped to deal with these challenges and will lead the society on to even greater things. i wish him all the best for his presidency and look forward to supporting him.” The EsCrs congress also coincides with the annual meeting of the European society of ophthalmic Nurses and Technicians (EsoNT). A record number of nurses and technicians are expected to attend three days of courses, didactic presentations and special events. XXVII Congress of the ESCRS 2009 Sunday 13 September ESCRS Congress goes from strength to strength INSIDE: FIRST WORLD CONGRESS OF OPHTHALMOLOGY AND STRABISMUS (WCPOS) MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Only the proprietary§ OZil® Torsional handpiece delivers controlled side-to-side ultrasonic shearing. With virtually no repulsion, INFINITI® Vision System with OZil® delivers a level of followability that will dramatically alter the way you perform phaco. Forever. www.infinitivision.com $OFRQ,QF,1)(8 Welcome to the world of true custom *OZil® Torsional handpiece. § Patents pending. is a registered trademark of Alcon, Inc. EuroTimes ET T oday OZil®*HAS TURNED THE TIDE IN PHACO, CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE. FOREVER. ,1)(8(77RGD\LQGG 30
Paediatric and adult ophthalmologists learning from each other THis year’s EsCrs meeting in Barcelona offers an unprecedented opportunity for ophthalmologists from around the world to avail of interactive learning with their paediatric specialist colleagues. The meeting marks a first, collaboration with paediatric ophthalmology in the form of the first World Congress of Paediatric ophthalmology and strabismus (WCPos). This is a lively time in the field of paediatric ophthalmology, with important new studies in many key areas including genetics, strabismus, retina, cataract and refractive surgery. The WCPos meeting highlights controversies and innovations in the field that will be of interest to specialists and general ophthalmologists alike. “The idea of putting the best people together in one room to talk about paediatric ophthalmology was irresistible. This is the beginning of what we hope will be regular opportunities for people to get together and talk. By getting together we can communicate with each other, take the skills and techniques that the adult [ophthalmologists] have, and the information that the paediatric specialists have, put those together and end up with something even better,” David Granet MD, director of the ratner Clinic, university of California, san Diego, and co-director of WCPos, told EuroTimes. Ken Nischal consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Great ormond street Hospital for Children and Moorfields Eye Hospital (Hon.) in london and co-director of WCPos concurred. “We all have strengths in different areas. refractive surgeons are very good at refractive surgery, but in the child, it’s the visual rehabilitation after the refractive surgery that contributes to the success of the operation that the refractive surgeon has performed,” said Dr Nischal. “By increasing communications or links with paediatric ophthalmologists, who are good at visual rehabilitation in children, the refractive surgeons can increase the outcome or success of their own procedures,” he said. The WCPos offers a full menu of scientific sessions, keynote lectures, instructional courses, and satellite symposia over its two-day run. While planning the programme Dr Granet and Dr Nischal were careful to invite speakers from around the world in order to provide the widest possible perspective on current issues in the field. As a result the conference, with registrations far exceeding expectations, should prove to be an excellent gauge of trends and current and future concerns in paediatric ophthalmology. “We’re very excited by the level of freedom that the EsCrs has given us to be able to have controversies, case presentations and discussions – every manner of learning experience – at the conference. We’re giving moderators the freedom to run sessions the way they would want to experience them if they were in the audience. We’re going beyond the format of just getting up and talking at people for 10 minutes, we’re making it more dynamic and interactive. We have experts from every region moderating the sessions. What we are doing has never been done before,” noted Dr Granet. research papers and posters are only a small part of what’s on offer. in addition to hundreds of free papers, lectures and posters there are three simultaneous tracks of instructional courses each day. These cover all areas of the field, including strabismus techniques, controversies in nystagmus, amblyopia, genetic disease, uveitis and beyond. The meeting was organised so that common areas of interest wouldn’t conflict in the schedule, allowing attendees to visit both lectures and courses of interest. The duties of ‘adult’ ophthalmologists and paediatric specialists overlap in different ways in different parts of the world, creating some controversies. Those controversies were discussed yesterday in a joint symposium of the EsCrs/WCPos on Paediatric Cataract & refractive surgery. “We wanted to get the best people from both worlds together. To me the controversy is not that controversial because the people who can do this are the ones who should be doing it. There is no doubt that the paediatric people know the paediatric side better and the cataract people know the cataract side better. But there is a way to communicate better, and that is what this is about. We might not talk so much about where we disagree or differ, but actually where we can get together. We want to find the common ground, and help each other develop the skills, so that the child ends up with the best possible care,” said Dr Granet. one area that is of great interest to both paediatric and adult ophthalmologists is refractive surgery. refractive surgery is still considered something of a taboo on the paediatric side of ophthalmology, but that is changing. For example, early clinical experience indicates that laser refractive surgery can be very useful in correcting higher order aberrations in children for whom no other options exist. laser refractive surgery is also finding a place in the treatment of high refractive errors, amblyopia and anisometropia. “We may wake up in 15 years and find that refractive surgery is the standard of care in paediatric ophthalmology. The problem is getting from where we are to where we need to go. We need to talk to refractive surgeons who are very comfortable with refractive surgery, and get them together with paediatric surgeons who are uncomfortable with refractive surgery. We’re worried about these kids who will have to live with this for 70 years. We are worried that once we open that door that there will be a stampede of parents running through the door who want their 11-year-old kids to get rid of their glasses for mild myopia. We want to avoid lasering anyone too frequently, too young and in the wrong settings,” emphasised Dr Granet. 3 7KHZRUOGpVîUVWQRQP\GULDWLFIXQGXVFDPHUD ZLWK$XWR)OXRUHVFHQFHIRU$0'VFUHHQLQJ $IWHU\HDUVRILPDJLQJH[SHUWLVH&DQRQ SUHVHQWVDQHZUHYROXWLRQLQUHWLQDOLPDJLQJ :LWKWKH&;+\EULG'LJLWDO5HWLQDO&DPHUD \RXFDQHYHQWDNH)$) )XQGXV$XWR )OXRUHVFHQFH LPDJHVLQQRQP\GPRGH )RUPRUHLQIRYLVLW ZZZFDQRQHXURSHFRPPHGLFDO B(\HBFDUHB&;BDGBYB[ PPLQGG 30 Only the proprietary§ OZil® Torsional handpiece delivers controlled side-to-side ultrasonic shearing. With virtually no repulsion, INFINITI® Vision System with OZil® delivers a level of followability that will dramatically alter the way you perform phaco. Forever. www.infinitivision.com $OFRQ,QF,1)(8 Welcome to the world of true custom *OZil® Torsional handpiece. § Patents pending. is a registered trademark of Alcon, Inc. EuroTimes ET T oday OZil®*HAS TURNED THE TIDE IN PHACO, CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE. FOREVER. ,1)(8(77RGD\LQGG 30 Ken Nischal, (left) and David Granet at the World Congress of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Opening Ceremony yesterday
THis year’s recipient of the John Henahan Prize is indian ophthalmologist, Kaladevi ranganathan MD. she received an award of €1,000 and a specially commissioned trophy from Emanuel rosen chairman of the EsCrs Publications Committee at this year’s EsCrs Congress. The prize is named in honour of the founding editor of EuroTimes, who edited the magazine from 1996 to 2001. The competition was open to ophthalmologists under 40 years of age and the prize was awarded to the author of the winning essay on a given theme. This year’s theme was “My best patient, my worst patient”. Dr ranganathan’s entry, “Judgement comes from experience”, concerned her experience with the case of a six-year-old girl who very nearly had a disabling and stigmatising loss of vision in one eye following a fireworks accident, but who through timely and resourceful intervention now has normal vision and a good quality of life. Written in an elegant and natural prose style, the essay underlines both the extreme challenges and the fulfilling rewards of ophthalmic practice, as well as the value of innovation in the treatment of special cases. Among the other entries which the judges highlighted were, “it happened one night” by Kuheli Bhattacharya MD, which described how vigilance and thorough examination revealed glaucomatous optic neuropathy in a hospital staff member and also provided an account of that ultimate moment of anxiety and dread for cataract surgeons: his first posterior capsule rupture. other notable entries were, “The Bottle of Milk Appears larger” by James Tee FrCs, uK, and “Faith and doubt” by Tushar Agarwal MD, india, which showed how a patient’s total confidence in their surgeon can quickly evaporate when serious complications or surgical errors occur. Another interesting entry was, “Darkness and light” by Arti sinha FrCs, uK which described how an unexpected and non-iatrogenic worsening of a patient’s just recently diagnosed giant cell arteritis plunged him into a dark night of the soul, yet the patient’s gratitude and satisfaction with a partial recovery of vision restored his faith in himself. Also deserving of special mention was, “Knowledge is a vast ocean” by Aditi Mohla FrCs, uK which provided a good illustration of how happy and unhappy patients are an inevitable part of a cataract surgeon’s lot. Emanuel rosen, chairman international Editorial Board of EuroTimes, said the standards of the entries for the 2009 John Henahan EuroTimes junior ophthalmologists prize were if anything, even higher than the impressive 2008 entries and all authors were to be congratulated on their efforts. “The prize will not only bring satisfaction to the winner and credit to all the contributors but may enhance all their prospects of pursuing a medical writing aspect to their future careers. We do indeed look to their further contributions to EuroTimes and the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery,” said Dr rosen. Inspiring tale of despair turned to hope wins John Henahan prize 4 Emanuel Rosen presents Kaladevi Ranganathan with the John Henahan Prize
Jack Kanski MD, MS, FRCS, FRCOphth, UK gave his keynote lecture yesterday at the first World Congress of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus held this year in conjunction with XXVII Congress of the ESCRS. He is the author of one of the most widely used textbooks in ophthalmology, Clinical Ophthalmology: a systematic approach. He is an honorary consultant and ophthalmic surgeon at Prince Charles Eye Unit, King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, UK. His lecture concerned his wide experience of managing uveitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). He was interviewed for EuroTimes by Roibeard O’hEineachain. ET: What have been the most important advances of management of uveitis in JiA during your years of practice? Kanski: The most important advance has been in the treatment of secondary cataracts with microsurgical instruments that enabled the lens to be removed through a very small incision. The instrumentation was originally designed for vitreous surgery. it is similar to phacoemulsification but uses a vitreous cutter that can remove the lens and the anterior vitreous. ET: Did you replace the lens? Kanski: We did not replace the lens in children with uveitis because this can cause a lot of problems such as the formation of secondary membranes and low intraocular pressure. ET: so how do these patients do over the long-term? Kanski: The visual prognosis is variable. in some cases the uveitis responds very well to treatment and complications do not develop. on the other hand some children respond less well and develop severe complications such as band keratopathy, cataract and glaucoma. in fact glaucoma is the most common cause of severe visual loss. Curiously there is no correlation between the severity of joint disease and uveitis. it is important to point out that not all children with JiA develop uveitis and occasionally uveitis develops before joint involvement. ET: so when can we expect the next edition of Clinical Ophthalmology: a systematic approach? Kanski: i am currently working on the 7th edition with my new co-author Bard Bowling and we hope that the book will be published in early 2011. ET: in putting it together what are the main changes you’ve seen in clinical ophthalmology since the last edition? Kanski: The main change has been in the treatment of macular degeneration. in the last edition i didn’t even mention treatment with anti-VEGF agents because nobody was using them. Keynote lecture focuses on uveitis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis 55 EUROTIMES ESCRS PODCAST Listen to our podcasts at www.eurotimes.org Podcasts are also available on Jack Kanski signing bookmarks yesterday for his ground-breaking book Clinical Ophthalmology: a systematic approach
6 Vox Doc ET Today asks doctors what has drawn them to attend the XXVII ESCRS Congress in Barcelona. The first World Congress of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (WCPOS) is also taking place during the ESCRS Congress. “i have a special interest in paediatric ophthalmology. i am from Zimbabwe and we are trying to set up a paediatric unit, so i hope that by coming to this meeting i will get some information to assist me.” “i try to attend this meeting every year to help me update my knowledge. i have a special interest in cataract surgery. This is my first time in Barcelona and i am looking forward to meeting colleagues and friends.” “There is a high standard of scientific content and i also look forward to attending the exhibition, the wetlabs and the instructional courses. The combination of all these things makes this a very nice meeting.” FINALLY A FULLY INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR IOP CONTROL - Icare® Icare® ONE tonometer for self-tonometry and IOP screening. Icare® PRO tonometer + Icare® LINK software for diagnosing and clinical follow-up of IOP. Get a demo at stand i5 EuropEan SociEty of cataract & rEfractivE SurgEonS Sharai Shamu - ZIMBABWEMikheil Gabrichidze - GEORGIAMohamed Chehab - LEBANON
Title Subtitle 7 paris2010 XXVIII Congress of the ESCRS 4–8 September 2010 Le Palais des Congrès www.escrs.org EuropEan SociEty of cataract & rEfractivE SurgEonS
ATTENDEEs at the annual meeting of EsoNT will benefit from a three-day programme filled with a variety of educational opportunities. The main symposium being held on Monday, september 14, from 10.30 to 12.30, is expected to be a particular highlight because of both its interesting content and new format. The two-hour symposium will feature a series of point- counterpoint discussions focusing on three current controversies in ophthalmic practice: n intravitreal injections – should they be performed in the clinic or operating theatre? n biometry techniques – is optical biometry or ultrasonic immersion biometry preferred? n Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy – should it be performed by a nurse or physician? opinion leaders representing the differing views will have 15 minutes each to present information supporting their position. Following completion of both talks, each speaker will have five minutes of rebuttal/discussion time. This interactive session will also give audience members a chance to submit questions and place their vote for the “winner” of each debate. Margarita Acebal rN, oND is the chairperson for the symposium and mother of the idea, and susanne Albrecht rN will be co-chairing the symposium. Ms Acebal told ET Today that the point-counterpoint format was chosen based on positive experience when it was featured recently during a continuing education meeting of the spanish ophthalmic Nurses Association (soNA). “This debate style of discussion is very effective for educating the audience about controversial issues and can be very entertaining and engaging as well. Feedback from attendees at the soNA symposium was very positive, and we are looking forward to an informative and enjoyable session at the EsoNT meeting,” said Ms Acebal, head of nursing, Baviera ophthalmic Clinic, Milano, italy. The content of the symposium reflects hot topics in current practice. The question of what constitutes the proper setting for administering intravitreal injections has risen to prominence with the emergence of anti-VEGF agents as effective therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration. Administration in the clinic is less costly and more appealing to patients, and those who favour this setting argue that with appropriate patient preparation and technique, the injections can be administered safely without increasing the risk of endophthalmitis. However, proponents who believe intravitreal injections should be performed only in the operating theatre argue that adequate sterility cannot be achieved in the clinic. Monica Guardia rN will be speaking in favour of the operating theatre and Victoria De rojas MD will defend performing the procedure in the office setting. With advances in cataract surgery and iol technology, patient expectations for excellent visual outcomes are high. Accurate biometry is a critical element for proper iol power calculation and achieving the desired refractive target after surgery. studies evaluating optical biometry and immersion ultrasound show good surgical results can be achieved with either technique, although each has its own advantages and disadvantages. optical biometry is a user- and patient-friendly technique that requires no applanation and little operator training. However, the instrument itself is somewhat expensive and some eyes are immeasurable. The equipment for immersion ultrasound is less costly, but the results are more operator-dependent, more training is required to obtain accurate results and the measurement involves contact with the cornea. Consuelo lledo rN, oND will review the ultrasound immersion technique and Dipa Michalik PhD will be discussing the use of optical biometry. in some European countries, YAG laser capsulotomy can be performed by an ophthalmic nurse. At the EsoNT symposium, Helen Gibson rN, oND who was the first ophthalmic nurse practitioner to perform Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy at Moorfields Eye Hospital, will discuss the appropriateness and benefits of this expanded role for ophthalmic nurses. Tayo Akingbehin MD, FrCs, FrCophth will explain why YAG laser capsulotomy should remain an ophthalmologist-performed procedure. Courses at the EsoNT Congress are scheduled for saturday and sunday, september 12 and 13, and the programme this year features three new selections: Confocal scanning laser tomography (CslT) of the retina using the Heidelberg retina Tomograph, standardised Biometry for Premium surgical outcomes, and standardised Biometry labs (prerequisite: standardised Biometry for Premium surgical outcomes course). Phacoemulsification for Nurses was offered at three different 2.5-hour time slots yesterday. “Phacoemulsification is one of our best and most popular courses because it also includes a wetlab where participants can gain hands-on experience using the equipment to operate on porcine globes,” said Ms Acebal. The Free Paper Programme begins on sunday afternoon. There are two sessions, sunday, september 13, 14.30 to 16.30, and Monday september 14, 08.15 to 10.00, and each features a diverse range of papers covering a variety of topics of interest to ophthalmic nurses and technicians. original research will also be presented in accepted posters, which will be available for viewing in electronic format during the congress at dedicated computer stations within the exhibition centre. ESONT programme spotlights current controversies 8 Title Subtitle 9
EYE ON TRAVEL Eating and drinking your way through Barcelona 10 i f you visit the famous Barcelona food market, la Boqueria, and you probably will, you will see why the people of Barcelona eat so well – and why the market gets the same number of visitors as the Picasso Museum every year. This market, off The rambla, is an accessible, affordable tumble of appetising fish, fruit, vegetables, and meat. Turning these ingredients into first class meals is an old Catalan skill. The world’s first cookery books in a latin-derived language were in Catalan; the “Best restaurant in the World” is in Catalonia. on top of that, short, entertaining cookery lessons have become an offbeat way of enjoying a visit to Barcelona. one of the most inspiring and enthusiastic culinary guides you could find is a young woman named Begonia sanchis. “Bego” runs her “Cook and Taste” cooking classes in a sunny kitchen overlooking The rambla, just a few minutes from the market from which her ingredients are sourced. up three narrow flights of marble stairs, Bego and her kitchen await the 10 participants in the three-and-a-half-hour course. After a glass of wine and some introductions, Bego starts the session with the skill of an accomplished hostess. she quickly recognises which guests would rather sip and listen and those who would rather chop and stir; the session is as much of a party as it is a cooking lesson – but despite the informality, it is a cooking lesson and you will come away with the recipes and techniques you need to prepare a three-course spanish meal at home. Bego’s paella pans are already in place in the centre of the cooking island. “Most people want to learn to make a paella,” she explains. But paella is not the only dish on Bego’s menu. Perhaps you’d like to perfect a tortilla or gazpacho, or prefer to concentrate on tapas. if so, just tell her when you book, and Bego will do her best to accommodate you. You could think of it as “lunch with a difference”, one that will leave you with warm memories of Barcelona, Bego, and the meal you helped prepare in her kitchen. To participate, phone Cook and Taste at +34 93 302 13 20 for the timing of the next available session. Classes are usually given twice daily – at 11:00 and 17:00 – and cost €60. An introduction to la Boqueria costs €12; market visits are timed to precede the cooking classes. Check the website at www.cookandtaste.net for details. G et a table in rafa’s. This tiny restaurant in roses counts Ferran Adrià among its regulars. No written menu, just freshly caught seafood that rafa prepares on an iron grill. Closed sunday, Monday and most of December.You book in advance and telephone in the morning to check that he’ll be open. He closes if the day’s catch isn’t good. rafa’s, C. sant sebastia, 56. The wooden plaque beside the door reads “rhoderosesrafa.” Telephone: +34 972 254003. it may be only a stall in the famous Boqueria market, but Ferran Adrià himself has said that “no trip to Barcelona is complete without a visit” to El Pinotxo. run by the charismatic Juanito, it is open for breakfast and lunch – from 6:00 to 17:00 – every day but sunday and two weeks in August. Just say if you want tapas of meat (carne) or fish (pescado) and Juanito does the rest. in the Boqueria Market, stalls 66-67. Following a recommendation from Bego sanchis at Cook and Taste, a friend and i went to a fine food and wine emporium in Barcelona – Can ravell – for a bottle of oil. We wound up at a communal table just past the cheese counter enjoying an 18-tapas lunch. it came in two waves of seven oval dishes containing creative variations on everything from foie gras to fried eggs and ended with a flourish of four sweet tapas. i cannot recommend it more highly, though i forgot to buy the oil. open Monday and saturday from 9:00 to 18:00; Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 to 21:30; Thursday and Friday from 8:30 to 22:00. A spiral staircase in the kitchen leads up to a dining room lined with wine bottles. it’s in the Eixample, at Arago 313. Telephone: +34 934 575 114. www.ravell.com Want to get the catch of the day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odorníu produces its famous sparkling wine, Cava, in the foothills of the Penedes about an hour’s train ride from Barcelona. The Codorníu winery dates from 1551; the introduction of “cava” dates from 1871. The present winery in sant sadurni d’Anoia was designed by the Modernist architect, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, as the beginning of the 20th century. The buildings were declared a National Monument in 1976. A look at the outstanding architecture in its elegant park would be enough to make the trip worthwhile. But any wine enthusiast will welcome the chance to gain an insight into the production process and see over the cellars. Visitors board a sort of tram to scuttle along a few kilometres of one of the five levels of underground tunnels that together comprise “the largest cellar in the world”. Tours are organised according to the language required, so it’s necessary to book ahead. including a wine tasting of two of the varieties of Cava developed by this ancient house, the tour takes an hour and a half. Tours are conducted several times a day Monday through sunday and cost €8. To make a reservation phone +34 93 891 33 42 or email: reserves@codorniu.es. www.codorniu.com Getting there: the train from Placa Catalunya, which also stops at sant sadurni d’Anoia, leaves every 30 minutes and arrives 45 minutes later. The Freixenet winery, rivals to the Cava producers, is right at the station and offers free tours. Check their website for opening hours: www.freixenet.es. Despite that convenience, it’s worth the 15-minute walk or a quick taxi ride to visit the world-famous Codorníu, suppliers of Cava to the spanish royal family since 1897. Cava country
EuroTimes Practice Development Workshop: Refractive surgeons must get patients in the door 11 No matter how skilled a surgeon you are, you’re not going to do much refractive work without some serious effort to get potential patients into your office for consultations. That’s the take home message from the second annual EuroTimes Practice Development Workshop, which kicked off yesterday with a one-day Masterclas for ophthalmological Entrepreneurs and continues today with a programme of marketing essentials to make your practice stand out from the crowd. Practice-proven techniques for targeting interested refractive candidates with customised messages, making your practice visible on the internet and essential phone skills to convert patients who call into scheduled consults will be presented. The marketing and economical benefits of teaming up with like-minded practitioners in disciplines such as dentistry and aesthetic surgery to form a multidisciplinary practice will also be explored. “Marketing has always been essential to a successful refractive practice, and it’s gotten more important with the economic downturn,” says barrister Paul McGinn, EuroTimes editor and host of the Practice Development Workshops. “With national health budgets getting tighter, business skills may be required to keep practices viable.” Cut through the media fog in today’s saturated media environment, generic broad-based advertising has lost much of its impact but the price remains high, says Kris Morrill, head of KAM Communications, a medical marketing and communications consultancy based in london, uK. Messages that consumers feel speak directly to them can be much more cost-effective in recruiting refractive candidates. Ms Morrill’s workshop, “Target Your Market,” will explore using the internet and new media as effective marketing tools to capture consumers who are most interested in refractive procedures. Topics include identifying the characteristics of high-interest candidates, developing customised messages that appeal to their specific interests, effectively delivering those messages, and using interactive media to engage consumers, build interest – and get them in for an appointment. Websites that stand out With two-thirds or more of potential refractive patients looking for information online, an effective practice website is a must for capturing new patients, notes David W Evans PhD, MBA, president of Ceatus Media Group llC, san Diego, us. His group emphasises authoritative patient education and connecting consumers with local expert providers in their areas. in his presentation “using the internet as a Marketing Tool”, Dr Evans will focus not just on developing a website, but also employing strategies that ensure that your site rises to the top when consumers search for services – which is crucial to maximise you site’s impact. He will address six primary attributes that make up an effective practice website. Don’t blow it on the phone Another crucial point in attracting refractive patients comes when the candidate picks up the phone and calls your practice. By the time a patient takes the trouble to call, they’ve often made the decision to have surgery. Yet studies show that poor telephone management practices that turn off or just ignore enthusiastic patients often cost practices tens of thousands in revenues annually, says rod solar of liveseysolar Practice Builders, london, uK. His workshop, “The Golden Telephone: Turn More Enquiry Calls into Patients,” will provide an outline for evaluating your telephone practices to ensure you are getting the most out of every patient contact. The focus will be on motivating and training your staff to handle calls effectively. Employing techniques for controlling the conversation, overcoming objections such as price, and sharing your unique value proposition will help ensure you don’t lose phone enquiries to competitors. Convenience and economy of a multispecialty clinic As a premium elective procedure, refractive surgery shares many features – and many potential patients – with other elective services, including dentistry and aesthetic surgery. Teaming up with colleagues from other specialties who share your medical and service standards to create a multispecialty clinic is a great way to increase convenience for patients and reduce practice costs, says Erik Mertens MD, medical director of Medipolis, Antwerp, Belgium. His clinic includes four departments; Eye surgery, Dental, Anesthesiology and Aesthetic. While finding like- minded practitioners willing to embrace the multidisciplinary concept was a challenge, all participants greatly benefit from reduced costs through cross-training and sharing staffing and infrastructure, as well as internal cross-referrals. Dr Mertens will review steps for developing a successful multidisciplinary clinic and look at how Medipolis has established itself as a nationally and internationally renowned practice. 11 ET Today Special Edition XXVII Congress of the ESCRS 2009 Publisher: Carol Fitzpatrick Executive Editor: Colin Kerr Editors: sean Henahan, Paul McGinn Managing Editor: Caroline Brick Production Editor: Angela sweetman senior Designer: Paddy Dunne Assistant Designer: Janice robb Contributing Editors: Howard larkin, Dermot McGrath, roibeard o hEineachain Keith Willey, associate professor, London Business School, addressing the one-day Masterclass for Ophthalmological Entrepreneurs
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