Why Offering One-Hour Paid Patient Consultations Is a Smart Strategy for Modern Clinics

Oleksii Sologub
May 1
3 min read

Updated: May 6

In today's high-demand clinical environment, most ophthalmic consultations are constrained to 10–15 minutes. This is enough for standard patients, but not for all. There is a small, often overlooked group of patients for whom this approach is simply not sufficient. And this group may hold the key to stronger financial performance, better clinical outcomes, and higher trust in your practice.

Let me tell you the story of Marta (name and some clinical details are changed), a highly educated 51-year-old lawyer with severe myopia and complex visual needs. Marta had already seen four different eye care professionals, each giving her 10–15 minutes. Despite spending time and money on diagnostics and consultations, she was still uncertain, anxious, and frustrated.

Then she booked an extended one-hour paid consultation with me for 250€. In that hour, she was able to:

Ask every question she had without being rushed.
Understand the tradeoffs between different IOL types.
Get a lot of insights of things and subjectivity of vision, she was not aware of.
Feel respected, empowered, and heard, and ready to had a final discussion with her surgeon.

She left the call not only relieved but grateful. Her exact words were:

"I wish I could pay my surgeon for a similar consultation, but they never offer it."

Marta is not unique. She represents a growing segment of patients: highly educated, time-sensitive, and willing to pay for clarity. For her, understanding every aspect of her surgery is not a luxury—it’s a professional necessity. And she's not alone - I can confirm from my experience - it is something that patients would be happy to have as an option.

Why this matters to your clinic

It unlocks new revenue. This is a new paid service you can offer—250€ per hour is standard in legal or financial services. Why not in ophthalmology?
It improves conversion. Patients who feel heard and informed are more likely to choose premium IOLs, accept toric upgrades, or opt for bilateral surgery.
It reduces medico-legal risk. A fully informed patient is less likely to blame the clinic for "unexpected" results. Time spent now avoids lawsuits later.
It differentiates your clinic. Offering a "deep-dive consult" sets you apart. You become the clinic that actually listens.
It increases surgeon satisfaction. No more frustration from being overwhelmed with patient questions mid-surgery day. Allocate time properly, or refer to a trained counselor or consultant.

How to implement it

Add a "60-minute extended consultation" to your service list.
Offer it pre-surgery for complex cases or premium procedures.
Train a non-surgeon expert (or work with an external consultant like myself) to conduct these sessions.
Position it as a premium, optional upgrade—not a replacement of standard care.

What patients like Marta really want

Not everyone needs a one-hour consult. But the ones who do will deeply appreciate it—and they will pay for it.

They want:

Time to ask questions.
Someone who understands the big picture.
Visual models, analogies, examples—not just numbers.
A clear recommendation based on their life, not just their eyeball.

And you can implement this strategy in your clinic - be different!

I’ve helped hundreds of patients around the world make confident, well-informed IOL decisions to discuss finally with their doctors. And I helped dozens of clinics to improve their clinical processes in order to improve patient experience resulting to better premium IOL conversion rate. And I’ve seen how a single deep conversation can completely transform patient trust, expectations, and satisfaction.

If you want to: