Setting up a successful private ophthalmology clinic

The correct marketing strategy is key to ensuring the success of a new ophthalmology practice, delegates attending a special ESCRS Practice Management and Development session yesterday heard.
Dr Ludger Hanneken, a German refractive and cataract surgeon, detailed how he had set up a successful private ophthalmology clinic in Andorra. He was the first to open such a clinic in the country, which has a very busy tourism industry and many non-national residents.
After conducting careful market research he decided to target the higher end of the market and provide cutting edge technology and high quality procedures in a luxurious yet homely clinic at competitive prices.
Dr Hanneken then set about creating his ‘brand’ and developing a marketing strategy to attract his target clients for his services, namely refractive surgery and presbyopia and cataract surgery. His challenges included the fact that Andorra has no reputation yet for medical services, and there was strong competition from Spain, in the form of world-renowned eye clinics and low prices for refractive and lens surgery.
He explained how he has taken part in local events and training, set up a high quality website, with content in a number of languages, as well as online resources, and took out selected advertising, all aimed at targeting his potential clients. He extolled the virtues of inbound marketing, which is about offering valuable social content for interested users.
Dr Hanneken reported good results from his strategy to date, and he now has a successful and busy clinic in Andorra.

ENDS