Opportunities in the Secondary Healthcare Market
The self-pay sector as a sustainable mainstay – Richter & Lopez Health Practice, Mönchengladbach, Germany
The Richter & Lopez Health Practice in Mönchengladbach has existed since 1999. Across 230 m², physiotherapist Axel-André Richter and his colleague Victor Lopez offer their patients far more than classic physiotherapy – with a consistent self-pay area that makes them largely independent of statutory health insurance.
"We treat patients far beyond conventional physical therapy, as physiotherapy encompasses both physical therapy and movement-based therapeutic methods, and has long extended beyond treating 'the sick'."
Axel-André Richter
Physiotherapist & Practice Owner
Practice Profile
Location
Mönchengladbach, NRW, Germany
Founded
1999
Practice Size
230 m²
Focus
Physiotherapy, pain therapy, movement science
Staff
3 therapists
More Info
www.richterlopez.deConfidently entering the self-pay sector
Richter & Lopez integrated the self-pay sector into their practice early on. Given increasingly bureaucratic demands in healthcare, they wanted to operate as independently as possible from statutory health insurance. Their stance is clear:
Either people value it enough to spend money on their health – then we offer them individual solutions and take the time – or they don't.
Since 2009 they have also offered a new pain therapy approach based on the Liebscher and Bracht method. To further expand the self-pay offering, Richter & Lopez chose Pixformance's digital training concept.
Pixformance as the ideal complement in the self-pay sector
"In pain therapy, patients are getting younger and younger. Pixformance fits in well because it appeals to both older and younger people from 30+. For these patients it's not about short-term aches, a beach body, or wellness as such, but about people seeking long-term, health-promoting training."
For Richter, one thing was always clear: conventional machine training that only works individual muscle groups was out of the question.
"Patients already sit on the way to work and at work – they shouldn't have to sit during exercise therapy too."
The breadth of Pixformance's training options convinced him: over 200 functional full-body exercises, individually customizable on the online platform according to needs and health status.
"The great thing is that I can design the new training completely individually for each of our patients. From elite athletes to elderly patients – there's something right for everyone."
"With the live feedback, the easy-to-view training results, and the Pixformance web app, you get great support and can always track where you stand and what you've already achieved. And when I introduce the devices to new people, they're immediately enthusiastic because the stations simply look great."
Four Pixformance stations were integrated into a spacious training area – equally suitable for individual sessions and group classes.
"We've had a lot of positive feedback about the training so far. Even when athletes are somewhat hesitant at first, they're convinced afterwards once I put together the right training program for them."
Virtually supervised training and pandemic resilience
The possibility of virtually supervised training – even without constant 1-on-1 supervision – is of great importance to the practice's therapists. Richter himself trains 2 to 3 times a week at the stations.
"If a therapist is absent, you can offer this as a backup and easily compensate with Pixformance so that the therapy session doesn't have to be cancelled."
"The real-time corrections are a great support for letting our patients always train safely and responsibly, even without staff present."
"During the pandemic, the offering via the Pixformance web app was also very professional. For the people we showed that they could continue their training at home if needed, the response was very positive. And we don't have to record private videos to share the exercises."
Many patients still prefer the personal exchange on-site – which is possible thanks to well-ventilated rooms and contactless training even during the pandemic.
Turning patients into long-term clients
With pain therapy and the Pixformance training concept integrated in 2020, Richter & Lopez have built up a comprehensive self-pay sector and sustainably strengthened their position in the secondary healthcare market. The goal was always to operate largely independently of statutory prescriptions and focus fully on patients' recovery.
Experience shows: people who are aware of the added value of therapy are also willing to invest as self-paying clients. Richter & Lopez have thus turned their patients into long-term clients and sustainably retained them.
