Refractive surgery is constantly evolving, and patients are savvy enough to explore new vision correction technologies and techniques before they even enter your practice. Knowing how to empower patients while setting your practice apart can mean the difference between them undergoing surgery at your practice or a competitor’s.
THE PATH TO EVO
My journey with the Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL; STAAR Surgical) began in 2018 when I joined a busy refractive practice that did not offer the procedure at my location. Instead of turning away patients with exceptionally high refractive errors because they weren’t good candidates for LASIK or PRK—or worse yet, doing LASIK or PRK on patients with extremely high corrections (eg, -10.00 D)—I became interested in the idea of getting trained to perform ICL surgery.
Initially, I reserved ICLs for patients with extremely high myopia. As my technique evolved, however, I expanded the scope of potential candidates based on research findings by Packer et al1 showing that individuals with a refractive error of -8.00 D or higher experienced better outcomes with the ICL compared to LASIK. That convinced me to draw a pretty clear line that anybody -8.00 D or higher could benefit from an ICL instead of LASIK, even if they have enough corneal tissue for laser vision correction.
Now with the advent of the EVO ICL™ (STAAR Surgical), I consider the procedure for patients with lower refractive errors and routinely offer it to patients with myopia of -6.00 to -8.00 D, further broadening its scope. We also discuss EVO for patients with lower amounts of myopia if they have any topographic irregularity that would lead us to recommend PRK over LASIK. Patients sometimes choose EVO ICL over PRK due to faster recovery and less days off work or school.
EDUCATING PATIENTS: A CRUCIAL COMPONENT
It’s typical for patients to conduct their own research ahead of their preoperative consultation, but it is important to provide them with comprehensive education to help steer the decision-making process. In our practice, we inform patients about all their options and emphasize the pros and cons of each procedure. Before EVO, most patients didn’t even know what the ICL procedure was. Many patients still have not heard of the procedure, so pre-educating patients can be helpful to make them aware of their options prior to coming in and to reduce disappointment if they are not a LASIK candidate. We have found the following strategies to be beneficial in educating patients about this technology during the early stages of engagement.
Initial contact. We train our phone team to educate prospective patients on the alternatives to laser vision correction, including EVO. We used to have our phone team work from suggested discussion points and information they can share with patients based on the conversation. We have also adapted our process to have the phone team alert potential patients to our virtual consultation offerings. Whatever method your practice chooses, introducing a lens-based procedure during patients’ initial inquiries prepares them for the possibility that a different surgery than they anticipated may be best for them.
Website resources. Our practice maintains a wealth of information about phakic IOLs on our website. The resources we feature allow patients to research the procedure independently, making them better informed before their consultation. With a lot of information, it is also important not to overwhelm them at this stage with too much medical jargon. Making ICL webpages and campaign landing pages mobile friendly (as most views will be on mobile devices or tablets), with information regarding the ICL and what they should expect during and after the procedure, is important to get them to move to the next step of contacting the practice. Videos, animations, and short bullet-point text provide a good way to ensure viewers get enough information in an easily digestible manner.
Virtual consultation. To further enhance patient education, our practice offers virtual consultations led by one of our optometrists. Patients learn about all the vision correction procedures we offer, find out which they may be candidates for, and have the opportunity to ask any questions they have about the procedures. Providing virtual consultations not only helps educate patients, but also builds trust in the practice by involving a medical professional in the early stages of their journey.
Marketing efforts. We have a limited presence on social media, but it is undoubtedly an effective platform to raise awareness of any procedure, as well as your practice. We’ve posted patient success stories (with their consent), educational content, and patient testimonials related to EVO.
SET YOUR PRACTICE APART
In a competitive field like ophthalmology, setting your practice apart is essential. In our practice, we rely on several techniques to differentiate ourselves as leaders in the phakic IOL space.
Share your expertise. To be seen as a leader, excel in your field. We have the knowledge and experience with EVO to back up marketing claims. Patients appreciate practitioners who are actively involved in the industry, so they appreciate knowing we present at conferences, publish articles, and participate in clinical trials involving EVO and other innovative technologies.
Participate in clinical trials. Our practice also actively participates in clinical trials, including as one of 14 sites involved with the EVO ICL FDA study. We have also been involved in several post-market ICL studies. Involvement in such studies not only adds to our practice’s credibility but provides patients with assurance that they are receiving cutting-edge treatment. It also gives us the opportunity to gain immense knowledge and experience with the technology (in this case, EVO ICL) before it is available commercially.
Embrace co-management. A collaborative care model can expand a practice’s reach and reputation. We have optometrists in house, and we also educate and collaborate with external optometrists, thereby facilitating more patient awareness of phakic IOLs. Collaboration and comanagement with your referring optometry practices can be a highly effective and convenient (for both the patient and your practice) way to manage patient flow and to engage your networks to refer patients for the ICL procedure. Patients are often more comfortable with their primary eye doctor, so optometrists should be well educated; it’s important that eye care providers feel comfortable discussing vision correction options and following patients after ICL surgery.
Leverage your strengths. Even those who are new to offering EVO can set their practice apart from competitors. For example, if your practice is renowned for cataract surgery, position yourself as an expert in cataract that offers a comprehensive range of services, including lens-based vision correction procedures like EVO.
Understand the patient journey. Patients contemplating vision correction procedures often undergo a lengthy decision-making process. One study found that the average refractive surgery patient thought about undergoing surgery for about 5 years before they scheduled the procedure.2 The first step is meeting patients where they are in their journey. Recognize that they are probably apprehensive about surgery, and provide them with the time and information they need to make a decision. This builds their comfort with and confidence in your practice.
CONCLUSION
EVO has emerged as a transformative option for individuals seeking vision correction. Educating patients early in their journey is an essential step in raising awareness about this option and positioning your practice as a leader in the field.
Adopting strategies such as early education, active participation in clinical trials, and leveraging existing strengths can help differentiate your practice in a competitive market. As patients become more informed and the demand for EVO continues to grow, being a trusted source of expertise and innovation will become increasingly important.
Other Articles in this Series
Article 1: All You Need to Know About the Patient Journey: Part 1 of 6
Article 3: Empowering Patients Through Education: Part 3 of 6
1. Packer M. The Implantable Collamer Lens with a central port: review of the literature. Clin Ophthalmol. 2018;12:2427-2438.
2. Mueller B. LASIK patient motivators. Paper presented at the: ASCRS Annual Meeting; April 2022; Washington, D.C.
Important Safety Information
Important Safety Information for the EVO/EVO+ ICL The EVO/EVO+ ICL is indicated for phakic patients 21-60 years of age to correct/reduce myopia up to -20.0 D with up to 6.0 D of astigmatism. Careful preoperative evaluation and sound clinical judgement should be used by the surgeon to decide the risk/ benefit ratio before implanting a lens in a patient with any of the conditions described in the DFU. Prior to surgery, physicians should inform prospective patients of possible risks and benefits associated with the EVO/EVO+ ICL. Reference the EVO/EVO+ ICL DFU available at https://edfu.staar.com/edfu/ for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions.
