Stimulating debate

Our first Practice Management course was held at the XXVI Congress of the ESCRS in Berlin, Germany in 2008. A lot has changed in European ophthalmology in the last seven years, not only clinically, but also in terms of the political and economic landscape. There is much fresh thinking coming out of Eastern Europe and we now have a very stimulating mix of ideas and debate coming through.
The principal focus of the ESCRS is clinical education and research, however we cannot ignore the fact that health services, including ophthalmology, need a strong financial base and business discipline particularly in very challenging times, in order to achieve growth and deliver for our customers, our patients.
Our Practice Management and Development Programme has evolved over the years, including the Practice Development Weekends and now expansion of the programme at the annual meeting. For Barcelona we have introduced new and more varied topics and have moderators for each of the sessions, which will encourage more direct participation from delegates.
We have chosen specific topics that relate to the needs of ophthalmologists, both in private and government healthcare settings. Sessions will include how ophthalmologists can set up their own businesses, how you know when to grow and not to grow these businesses and when to introduce 
new services.
While surgeons are not always good business people, we need to understand how businesses work, including how to recruit your team and train and retain them. We will ask: ‘Who Runs Your Practice? Is it you, it is your practice manager, your clinical administrator, or all three of you together?’
Ethical marketing is a key component for any business, especially in these challenging economic times, and we will discuss how ophthalmologists can use both traditional forms of marketing and also social media to build connections with their patients.
Rod Solar will present a day-long Masterclass on what motivates patients, what concerns they have, what they look for in an ophthalmologist, and why they will choose an individual ophthalmologist. Other keynote speakers include Ludger Hanneken, Jerome Vryghem, Bojan Pajic, Keith Willey, Arthur Cummings, Ed Toland, Lisa Mcloughlin, Nadezda Bilic, David Evans and Mike Malley.
We appreciate that many doctors are busy and may not have the chance to attend all of our sessions, but I would encourage their colleagues including practice managers, optometrists, orthoptists, nurses and other practice staff to take advantage of the Practice Management and Development Programme, as it will offer them a fantastic opportunity for a stimulating two days to learn more about the business of ophthalmology.

* Paul Rosen is Chairman of the ESCRS Practice Management and Development Committee