COE Marketing and Business Development 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A co-management arrangement between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist is MOST valuable from a business development perspective because it:
- Eliminates the need for the practice to carry malpractice insurance
- Creates a structured referral relationship that benefits both providers and improves patient access (Correct answer)
- Allows the practice to bill under the optometrist's NPI number
- Reduces the need for marketing directly to patients
Correct answer: Creates a structured referral relationship that benefits both providers and improves patient access
A formal co-management arrangement builds a mutually beneficial referral pipeline, increasing surgical case volume while ensuring the optometrist's patients receive specialized care.
Question 2: The return on marketing investment (ROMI) formula most commonly used in healthcare practice management is:
- Total marketing spend ÷ number of patients seen
- (Revenue attributable to marketing − Marketing cost) ÷ Marketing cost × 100 (Correct answer)
- Net profit ÷ gross revenue × 100
- New patients acquired ÷ total marketing impressions
Correct answer: (Revenue attributable to marketing − Marketing cost) ÷ Marketing cost × 100
ROMI measures how much revenue each marketing dollar generates relative to its cost, expressed as a percentage, allowing practices to compare channel effectiveness.
Question 3: Which digital marketing strategy is MOST effective for establishing clinical authority and educating patients about ophthalmic conditions?
- Pay-per-click display advertising on social media
- Publishing patient-focused educational content through a practice blog or website (Correct answer)
- Purchasing email lists from third-party vendors
- Sponsoring local sporting events
Correct answer: Publishing patient-focused educational content through a practice blog or website
Content marketing through educational articles and blog posts builds trust, improves search engine visibility, and positions physicians as authoritative sources for eye health information.
Question 4: A practice's market share in its geographic area is best calculated as:
- The practice's total revenue divided by its number of physicians
- The number of patients seen by the practice divided by the estimated total number of patients seeking eye care in the area (Correct answer)
- The practice's net profit margin compared to the industry average
- Total surgical volume divided by the number of OR days available
Correct answer: The number of patients seen by the practice divided by the estimated total number of patients seeking eye care in the area
Market share represents the proportion of available patients in a defined area that the practice captures, indicating competitive position in the local market.
Question 5: When launching a new service line such as a dry eye clinic, which marketing approach is generally MOST cost-effective for an established ophthalmology practice?
- National television advertising
- Notifying and educating existing patients through direct communication channels such as email or patient portal messages (Correct answer)
- Billboards on major highways
- Purchasing prime-time radio spots
Correct answer: Notifying and educating existing patients through direct communication channels such as email or patient portal messages
Leveraging the existing patient base through targeted internal communication is low-cost and reaches people already familiar with and trusting of the practice.
Question 6: Search engine optimization (SEO) benefits an ophthalmology practice website primarily by:
- Guaranteeing the first position in paid search results
- Improving the website's organic ranking in search results so patients can more easily find the practice (Correct answer)
- Automatically verifying insurance eligibility for online appointment requests
- Creating patient education videos for clinical use
Correct answer: Improving the website's organic ranking in search results so patients can more easily find the practice
SEO optimizes website content and structure so search engines rank it higher for relevant queries, increasing organic (non-paid) visibility to prospective patients.
Question 7: A 'call to action' (CTA) in a healthcare marketing communication is best described as:
- A compliance requirement mandating patient notification of privacy practices
- A clear directive encouraging the audience to take a specific next step, such as scheduling an appointment (Correct answer)
- An internal staff memo outlining new marketing protocols
- A regulatory filing submitted to state health departments
Correct answer: A clear directive encouraging the audience to take a specific next step, such as scheduling an appointment
A CTA guides the prospective patient toward a desired behavior—such as calling the office or booking online—converting marketing exposure into an actionable response.
COE Marketing and Business Development 2
A co-management arrangement between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist is MOST valuable from a business development perspective because it: