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We're hitting the wall in the search for new services to sell to patients
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Left-handed transnasal vitrectomies, anyone? Ophthalmology has always been vanguard in the hunt for new benefits to provide to patients. Not all of these have worked out well, economically or clinically. Many novel variations on refractive surgery disappoint. Blepharopigmentation was a bust. Facial skin resurfacing is rarely commercially successful. Selling cosmeceuticals and nutritional supplements is a low-margin challenge. Unexpectedly, selling hearing aids is working well in motivated settings.
The next decade will see many additional efforts. Most of these that stray from the core ophthalmic mission will fail. Most practices will do best sticking to the knitting. Repeat after me: "There are 610 million eyeballs in America and an unlimited market demand for not going blind."
Get more expert perspective from John Pinto live at Hawaiian Eye 2010, to be held January 17-22, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Learn more at OSNHawaiianEye.com.