Consultations project wins Innovation Prize

Julien Buratto won the inaugural Innovation Prize at the ESCRS Practice Management and Development Programme

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Photo of Aidan Hanratty

[caption id="attachment_16743" align="alignleft" width="849"] Julien Buratto[/caption] Julien Buratto won the inaugural Innovation Prize at the ESCRS Practice Management and Development Programme at the 37th Congress of the ESCRS. Buratto, Operation Manager at the Neovision Cliniche Oculistiche, Milan, Italy, described a marketing strategy that saw the clinic sell consultations on Amazon. Describing a situation where many Italian grandparents look after their grandchildren while their own children are working, Buratto cited a statistic that 47 children are injured every day by television tip-overs. With failing eyesight a potential risk for lost or injured children, it is imperative that older family members get adequate eye care.
Buratto said his clinic designed a pack that people could give to their parents as gifts. The visually attractive package included a voucher, a card with an activation number and a leaflet with information on cataract surgery. The concept is that the package, which is sold for €190 on Amazon, is a fully paid consultation voucher that grandparents can then use to order an appointment by phone. Citing Everett Rogers and the diffusion of innovations, Buratto said it was a first for the medical community, and that while it may not make a practice rich, it would spread brand awareness. With almost half the audience vote, this project was the clear winner of the Inaugural Innovation Prize.
Tags: cataract, innovation, practice management