Posters

Product definition and special consultation as key driving factors for the distribution of laser-assisted cataract surgeries

Poster Details

First Author: T.Herbst GERMANY

Co Author(s):    J. Forster   D. Holland           

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery is the latest innovation in cataract surgery. Since the corresponding treatment costs are not covered by most insurance providers, out-of-pocket payments in form of co-payments / self-payments by the patients are necessary. In order to separate this procedure from other laser procedures (e.g. LASIK), the nordBLICK Eye Hospital Bellevue created the product RELACS® (“REfractive Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery”), which is offered to interested patients during a special refractive consultation.

Setting:

RELACS® includes clear corneal incision (CCI), anterior capsulotomy and nucleus fragmentation as laser-assisted procedures. A fee of 1.450 € per eye was charged as co-payments. Product bundles with mono- and multifocal lenses were available for the patients. Special consultation were offered twice a week.

Methods:

In order to identify the influence of both factors, we conducted an “interrupted time series analyses. Underlying trends in mean number of charged laser-assisted cataract procedures, before the product RELACS® and the special refractive consultation were introduced, were compared to the trends after the introduction in order to identify significant trend change.

Results:

We found a significant increasing trend after the implementation of both, the product RELACS® and the special refractive consultation, on the number of performed laser-assisted cataract surgeries.

Conclusions:

The implementation of a special refractive consultation for interested patients as well as the definition of product for femtolaser-assisted cataract surgery seem to influence the number of laser-assisted cataract surgeries in a positive way. FINANCIAL DISCLOUSRE: NONE