Marketing Endoscopic Services in the Clinic

Chapter 23 Marketing Endoscopic Services in the Clinic



Randy Hutchison


Veterinary medicine has provided a wonderful opportunity for veterinarians to perform a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures depending on their primary area of interest. We are not confined by an organ system or a specific skill set. There are many technologies that have been made available to veterinarians in recent years. These technologies, after being sold to human medicine, have become more affordable for veterinarians. Practice owners then need to make the determination whether that equipment will benefit their practice and their patients.


There is often little question as to the benefit of these technologies. The concern is whether they be used with the frequency required to make them profitable within the practice. The types of cases that walk into a practice on a daily basis will ultimately be the determining factor as to which medical equipment is purchased. With a simple business model, veterinarians can only be successful if they are presented with an opportunity and offer people a reason to give them that opportunity. Adding endoscopy to a practice will provide both of these for a clinic.


Minimally invasive procedures have been commonplace in human medicine for years. Veterinary medicine is now advancing, in part, because of all the benefits endoscopy provides. One of the great advantages that veterinarians have in introducing endoscopy into their practices is that most people have been exposed to it in some way. Whether they have had it done to themselves or to a friend or family member, many people are familiar with a colonoscopy, a laparoscopic appendectomy, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or some other procedure involving endoscopic technology. Clients may not understand the intricate details of the procedure, but their familiarity with it will make it easier for veterinarians to market it to them. The other tremendous advantage of endoscopy is that the cases in which endoscopy is indicated are the ones that enter into a clinic each and every day. For endoscopy to be successful, a veterinarian does not necessarily need to work in a specialized or referral setting. Although endoscopy can succeed in that environment, it can be just as successful in a general primary care facility.


I would suggest that each practice owner look at his or her practice’s appointment book. I would expect that there may be at least one case every day that could be a candidate for endoscopy. Every clinic, no matter how large or small, evaluates patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, recurrent nasal disease, urinary tract disease, and persistent blood work abnormalities. These are only a few examples of the many problems that may require endoscopy to diagnose or treat the underlying pathologic condition. Certainly, each case must be evaluated as an individual, but many of these scenarios could ultimately indicate endoscopy as the next appropriate test. Over the course of this chapter ways to promote and market endoscopy will be discussed, as will the financial and reputation-enhancing benefits it will have for a veterinary facility.



Philosophy of Practice


It is my belief that a successful endoscopy practice is directly related to the overall medical philosophy of the clinic. As pet owners become more aware of advances in veterinary medicine, they expect more from veterinarians. More than ever, pets are now an integral part of a family’s overall dynamic rather than just an “animal.” For years, veterinarians have been trying to judge from owners how much testing they actually want and how much money they really want to spend. Veterinarians need to overcome that theory and offer these patients appropriate but complete veterinary care. Owners are now sitting across the examination room looking at veterinarians and wondering why a more complete and thorough evaluation is not being offered. Diagnostic testing and therapeutic intervention may not always provide an answer that carries with it a favorable prognosis, but there is a certain degree of closure that goes along with knowing the answer as opposed to an educated guess. Clients want to know to the very best of a veterinarian’s ability if they made the correct decision: good or bad.


I once heard a veterinarian say that because he was getting older, he felt he needed to reduce his workload. He figured that the best way to do this was to maximize the quality of each procedure. He incorporated a policy in which all patients would receive intravenous catheters and fluids, preoperative blood work, excellent anesthesia, and a pain management protocol. All of these improvements would, of course, involve a price increase to cover the cost of this new plan. The response to his plan was tremendous. He estimated that his workload almost doubled. Clients do not want to pay extraordinary costs for average or below-average care. The most important thing that a majority of clients want is excellent care for their pets. The cost of this care has value to them.


A veterinary practice must establish a reasonable price for services depending on the demographics of their region. Demographics, however, should not dictate the quality of medicine that veterinarians choose to practice. All veterinarians must graduate from an accredited veterinary program. During this training, veterinarians are exposed to quality medicine that is performed in a particular way. Patients receive an appropriate physical examination, a thorough diagnostic workup, and therapy based on the results of these tests. The job of veterinarians must be to carry these fundamentals into practice and offer this basic philosophy at the primary care level. The other realization to which all veterinarians must come is that there is a certain population of pet owners who will not want or cannot afford the type or quality of medicine that the clinic will offer. However, there will always be that group, no matter what level of medicine a veterinarian chooses to practice. A clientele who selects veterinarians for their services will be a much more dependable group than those who veterinarians continue to chase. There are more than enough pet owners who seek out, value, and appreciate excellent pet health care.


This philosophy is ultimately what makes endoscopy successful within a practice. People are aware that endoscopy exists within medicine and perceive it as an advance in technology that better serves their pets’ best interests. Incorporating endoscopy into your practice philosophy is a logical step in upgrading medical care and the overall personality of the practice. The reputation and respect that can be generated by adding endoscopic techniques into a practice can be a springboard to overall practice success.



Making a Commitment to Endoscopy


Once a clinic has decided to add endoscopy to their practice, that clinic must make a commitment to using endoscopy. If you choose to do, then choose to use. Often the decision to begin a minimally invasive practice involves a number of meetings between associates and practice owners. Throughout the course of these discussions, the start-up cost of endoscopy is weighed against the perceived ability to pay for the equipment. Intentions typically are good after these meetings, but so often the enthusiasm wanes. This enthusiasm is often affected because the owners and the associates do not make the effort to sell the procedures to the clients. Also, new endoscopists are often intimidated by the equipment or find it easier and faster to revert back to comfortable, traditional techniques. One guarantee that can be made is that endoscopy equipment cannot benefit a practice or be a profit center when it is collecting dust in a drawer or closet.


It would seem unlikely that any practice would make a multithousand-dollar investment and then not put it to use. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation. I get many referrals in my practice where clients come from a clinic that has endoscopy equipment but have not used it in so long that they would rather send that client to a new practice. I have also had technicians who have come from practices that will not consider advanced techniques such as endoscopy because they do not want to pursue the appropriate education to be able to use the instrumentation. The very first action that should be performed is the enrollment of staff into an endoscopy course that covers procedures that the practice is interested in implementing.


There are many endoscopy courses offered throughout the world at a variety of universities and continuing education meetings. Many of these courses will offer the opportunity to try equipment that a practice has purchased or that is considering purchasing. These programs will also provide that first hands-on experience in a controlled setting with instructors. This first, positive experience will lay the foundation for confidence with the patients. The next source of instruction should come from having an experienced endoscopist come to your practice. This accomplishes two very crucial objectives. It allows the ownership to see the capabilities within the walls of their practice, and it also gives the staff the very first exposure to endoscopy. The enthusiasm and excitement that this can generate among the staff are irreplaceable. The instruction that these courses will provide will lay the groundwork for the confidence and competency required to have a successful minimally invasive practice.

Related posts:

  1. Arthroscopy
  2. Endoscopic Knot Tying and Suturing
  3. Thoracoscopy
  4. Laparoscopy

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Sep 10, 2016 | Posted by in SMALL ANIMAL | Comments Off on Marketing Endoscopic Services in the Clinic

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