How to Present Myopia Management to Parents [Interview with Dr. Andrew Neukirch]

Dr. Andrew Neukirch, practicing OD at Carillon Vision Care in Chicago, IL., currently has over 200 kids in his myopia management programs.

I had a chance to interview him for our “Can I Ask You One Question?” series. Below are the key points from the interview. Scroll down to see the entire interview.

Identify the good candidates before they come in by looking at parent’s charts or other family members who are high myopes or suffered disease related to high myopia. This opens the door to a conversation.

Educate without confusing. Andrew uses a visual aid to assist. Visuals are great tools for enhancing patient education. Neurologically, the optic nerve connects to the part of the brain responsible for many of our decisions – the emotional brain.

Use a lot of data and statistics to make your point. No! Don’t do that. Our brains have limited capacity to absorb lots of information at once, and well-intended efforts to be “thorough” can easily lead to cognitive overload and confusion.

It’s better to share only the most compelling data and not overwhelm the patient. In the video, Andrew discusses the ONE statistic he shares in his initial presentation with parents.

There’s often a balance between involving the patient by offering options vs. being assertive in prescribing one course of action. Andrew mentions the options but directs the patient toward one option.

Make it relatable. When a parent has suffered from high myopia or related disease such as a retinal detachment or early onset cataracts, stress to the parent the need to prevent that in the child.

The #1 reason people decline this procedure is (drumroll)… cost! No surprise there, right? Andrew has successfully navigated this objection by making one critical change…

He stopped discussing annual fees. His office presents fees as monthly payments with an annual commitment that resets every year.

To use his example (not actual fees), $100 a month sounds a lot different than $1,200.

Click HERE to see the entire interview, including why he calls the MiSight conversation the “easiest one to have.”

Steve

Ps. If you’re trying to grow a specialty but don’t want to feel “salesy,” check out But I Don’t Sell.