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THE UNIQUE SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

The “Menu” for Success

How I promoted lens selection and kept the office running efficiently

DAVID PARK, O.D., UKIAH, CALIF.

Most of us have read or heard the advice from our practice management colleagues that the conversation to the patient about his or her prescription lenses should begin chairside by the doctor to prompt a sale. The problem: This conversation, in addition to patient follow-up questions, can take a lot of time, causing practitioners to fall behind schedule. The solution: an ophthalmic lens menu. We started using our menu roughly three years ago, and we’ve noticed an increase in optical sales.

Here, I explain.

Putting it together

The menu itself should be comprised of a list of lenses under “Good” “Better” and Best” along with information about cost, thickness, tints and AR coats. You may also want to include Abbe values and indexes, as these can assist you when briefly discussing optical properties.

Menu covers can be ordered at a local restaurant supply company or online at sites, such as Amazon.com. Clip art can be inserted effortlessly by cutting and pasting images from online lens sites. Word-processing is simply done on your own computer. The project cost is most likely less than $100 for material expenses.

Tie in your personalized logo, slogan and colors. Also, consider uploading the menu to your website. With a little extra work and minimal investment, you’ll have your personalized ophthalmic lens menu. (Our complete menu can be accessed at www.gpoeyecare.com.)

Putting it to use

In my practice, one ophthalmic lens menu is made available in the reception room, so patients and their family members can look at it while waiting to be seen. This way, they arrive at the exam room already educated about the various choices.

In addition, the menu is placed strategically in each exam room where the patient and practitioner can easily access it. Patients are invited to browse the menu while waiting for the doctor to arrive, again, to become knowledgeable about the choices prior to the doctor encounter.

At the exam’s conclusion, the practitioner uses the menu to narrow in on the appropriate options for the patient. From there, the practitioner hands off the patient to an optician, who then uses the optical’s menu copy to finalize the lens selection.

Front desk personnel review the ophthalmic lens menu with the patient and confirm the order as he or she checks out. Finally, billing staff employs the menu to verify usual and customary fees prior to submitting claims. Essentially, the ophthalmic lens menu keeps the office on the same page.

Dr. Park makes his “menu” available online and in the reception room and exam rooms.

Putting it plainly

Imagine walking into the exam room. Your patient is looking at the exam room copy of your personalized menu. He or she points at the menu and says, “I want this brand of lens, in this material, with this tint and that non-reflective coating.” It happens. As the patient leaves, he or she informs the front staff, “I’ve never had my options explained like this. I am going to tell everybody about this office. You’re the best.” OM

DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE PRACTICE? E-MAIL JENNIFER.KIRBY@PENTAVISIONMEDIA.COM. OM OFFERS AN HONORARIUM FOR PUBLISHED SUBMISSIONS.