Regardless of the setting in which you practice, I’m sure that you are making money. If you are losing money as a practitioner, you will soon go out of business or lose your job. Exceptions such as a Minnesota-based nonprofit eye clinic notwithstanding, most providers cannot afford to pay for their patients to get good care. And, phrasing it that way may be more palatable than saying that for practitioners to be exceptional at their job, they have to charge patients and make money. As a whole, eyecare providers tend to shun the concept of profit and charging patients.
I take exception to this rule, because my patients have taught me some valuable lessons. One of the most important lessons is that patients enjoy seeing a provider who is innovative. They frequently share how impressed they are to come to our clinic and see all of these “new machines.”* They also always ask what is new in contact lenses this year even though I fit them into a new lens the year before and they are not reporting any problems. The reason why my patients are more interested in technology relates to the way we educate them. It’s important to tell patients why the technology is important and how it is being used to ensure their long-term (i.e., not just short-term) health and comfort.
Regardless of their economic situation, we have patients who are willing to pay more for what they find to be valuable. Some patients literally cannot afford something, while others appear to be far wealthier than I am. Value is more important than the amount of money that is in a paycheck. As such, I hold my head high and provide the same level of care, give the same recommendations, and prescribe the same products to everyone. Being on the front line of eye health and vision means that we have to have technology that catches disease earlier. As a result, we need to use products that cost more and bring more value. When presented correctly, most patients will be grateful.
