Strategies for Overcoming Challenges in Medicine in 2025

Contents:

• The cost of importing equipment has increased significantly
• Problems with recruiting and retaining staff in the context of a shortage of specialists
• The importance of reputation has exceeded the importance of quality of service
• Marketing barriers hinder the promotion of a medical institution

Anton Kazantsev, ophthalmologist and head of the VISTA ophthalmology center, shared his knowledge and experience.

Managing a medical business in 2025 means overcoming a shortage of specialists, problems with the supply of medical equipment, strict regulatory standards, and patients who analyze reviews with more care than recommendations for use drugs.

In this article for the editorial board of Skillbox Media "Business" I will share the main challenges facing the industry, and also talk about ways to overcome them, based on the experience of my center.

• Purchasing equipment abroad has increased significantly in price.
• Due to the shortage of specialists, it is becoming problematic to both attract and retain employees.
• The importance of reputation has increased significantly compared to the quality of the service provided.
• Problems with promoting the clinic arise as a result of marketing restrictions.

Anton Kazantsev, an ophthalmologist and CEO of the VISTA ophthalmological center, shared his knowledge and experience.

The cost of importing equipment has increased significantly

One of the key challenges facing private medicine in Russia is dependence From imports. Since 2022, there has been a slowdown in the supply of diagnostic and surgical equipment, accompanied by rising prices. Moreover, domestically produced equivalents do not always meet the required quality standards.

Parallel imports do help, but they are also associated with certain difficulties, such as extended delivery times and increased equipment costs. As a result, medical institutions are forced to reconsider their business models: they adjust payback calculations, postpone acquisitions, and seek to find a compromise between service quality and budget constraints. They are often faced with a choice: either high quality at a high price or more affordable options that may pose risks to patient health.

We opted for the first option—we purchased equipment we were already familiar with and that delivers the required results. This slightly increased the payback period for our investment, but significantly strengthened our reputation: patients highly value the quality of our services.

Challenges with recruiting and retaining staff amid a shortage of specialists

Russia is currently experiencing a shortage of personnel in the medical field. According to the Ministry of Health, the country is short approximately 63,000 medical specialists. When it comes to not just a doctor, but a professional with specialized knowledge, the search process becomes a real selection.

To cope with this problem, we gradually expanded and took every possible measure to retain our employees.

Initially, we started working with a small team. In the early stages, the functioning of the clinic depended entirely on me and my family: we were engaged in receiving patients, organizing internal processes, and monitoring the quality of services provided. Our family has a long tradition in the field of ophthalmology, which allowed us to independently conduct appointments. If you are a physician yourself or have medical specialists in your network, this opens up additional opportunities and helps reduce initial costs.

Experts were brought in to solve specific problems. In complex situations, requiring, for example, high-tech surgeries, responsibility was transferred to experienced surgeons under a contract. This approach results in lower costs compared to maintaining a highly paid specialist on a full-time basis.

We began hiring new employees as our company grew. Expanding the team became possible once we achieved a steady flow of clients. We hired an HR manager and created an onboarding and internal training program for new employees.

We inspire our employees to develop by providing them with the opportunity to participate in specialized conferences, funding training, and involving them in the clinic's improvement process. This approach proves more effective than a simple bonus system.

Creating open communication has become the foundation of our work. Clear terms, respect for professional experience, and clear expectations are the principles that facilitate team building.

The importance of reputation has surpassed the importance of service quality

Choosing a clinic and doctor isn't arbitrary: people carefully study reviews, visit forums, and ask about the opinions of specialists in home chats. Even if a medical institution has modern equipment, reasonable prices, and experienced doctors, it is necessary to convince potential patients of its reliability and trustworthiness.

Therefore, building a reputation should start from the very beginning. A positive image is what drives word of mouth. When a client is satisfied, they not only return to the clinic but are also willing to recommend it to their family and friends.

Here are the steps we took to build our reputation.

We offered services that were safe for patients. In the initial months of our operation, we provided consultations and performed basic diagnostics. This allowed patients to get to know us better.

We actively interacted with local communities. At the beginning of our journey, we did not invest in advertising campaigns, but carefully responded to every opinion received. We collaborated with review platforms, neighborhood forums, and local Telegram chats. These channels not only contributed to building our reputation but also attracted new clients.

Only with the increase in the number of patients did we implement a CRM system, automated reminders, feedback collection mechanisms, and personalized offers. These steps significantly increased loyalty and improved the quality of interactions.

Marketing barriers hinder the promotion of a medical institution

In the Russian Federation, there is Federal Law No. 38-FZ "On Advertising", within the framework of which Article 24 concerns the advertising of medical services. This section establishes a number of strict restrictions. The main ones are as follows:

• You should not make promises about a guaranteed result, such as "we will definitely help" or "restore your vision in one visit".
• Comparing your clinic with others is inappropriate. Even if your institution is superior to others, the patients themselves should say so, not you.
• You should not create the illusion of security. It is forbidden to use expressions such as “treatment is painless,” “completely safe,” or “fast and effective.”
• Ignoring the risks is unacceptable. Every advertisement for medical services must include contraindications.

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Using comparisons in advertising materials can be a powerful tool, but it must be used with caution to avoid financial losses, such as 500 thousand rubles. It is important to remember several key aspects.

First, comparisons must be reasonable and correct. If your offer is untrue or misleading, it can lead to legal consequences and fines. Therefore, always verify the facts and data you plan to use in advertising.

Second, choose adequate competitors for comparison. Comparisons with companies that differ significantly in quality or price can cause consumer dissatisfaction and negative reviews. It is best to compare your products or services with similar offers on the market to make your advertising more credible.

Also, it is worth considering how such comparisons are perceived by the target audience. Compare not only the characteristics, but also the emotional aspects - what is really important to your customers. If you can convey to consumers how your offer improves their lives compared to competitors, it will create a stronger effect.

Finally, don't forget about legal regulations. Some countries have strict regulations regarding comparative advertising, so be sure to check the legislation before launching a campaign.

By following these guidelines, you can effectively use comparisons in advertising and avoid losses.

These circumstances create certain boundaries for interactions with patients. A doctor is not obliged to insist on purchasing a particular drug or using a specific service. Their task is to clarify the situation: describe the treatment process, indicate when it is recommended, and present possible alternatives. The decision should rest with the patient.

Therefore, marketing in the medical field must be distinguished by a high degree of openness and honesty, excluding any deceptive promises. This is not just a fashionable phenomenon, but an essential necessity.

To ensure compliance with the law, we focused on reviewing all marketing materials, from specialist profiles to service descriptions on our website. We eliminated terms such as "best," "safe," and "guaranteed results." For example, instead of recommending a product with the phrase "helps with cataracts," we prefer to cite data from clinical study No. …

We also detailed and clearly explained all procedure steps, adding links to relevant studies, protocols, and standards. For example, when it comes to laser correction, we explain who it is suitable for, the risks involved, and why this method may not be optimal for some patients.

This way, we adhere to the law, maintain a level of trust, and demonstrate our professional competence. Of course, this requires more effort than direct sales, but in the medical field, such an approach is essential.

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