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OPTICAL DESIGN COMPANIES REVEAL FIRST STEP IN DESIGN PROCESS

A successful optical design not only looks attractive — it can also boost efficiency, improve operations and increase sales. Here, companies that specialize in optical design explain their first steps in the design process.

Jan Ennis, president and CEO of Ennco Displays Group, says the very first consideration is overall space.

“The areas of pretest, special testing and visual field testing need to be given serious consideration for both room requirements and process flow,” he explains. “A well thought-out professional space can eliminate the need to move later if sales volumes increase beyond initial expectations…”

“We ask optometrists a series of questions to figure out what their ultimate wants and needs are from a business and space standpoint, and we also inquire about the doctor’s preference in terms of look and feel,” explains Andrew Fader, director of marketing for Eye Designs. “So, does the doctor like traditional, contemporary, variations? Then, we work with the doctor to come up with a functional design that meets his or her vision and budget.”

Helen Rogic, president of One Interior, says her company starts the design discussion by assessing four items: (1) personal preferences (classic, elegant, etc.), (2) “feeling” (fashion, family, children-oriented, etc.) (3) budget and (4) function.

“With regard to function, we visit the space to determine the amount of dispensing tables and their heights, optical stations and more,” she explains. “All of the items, such as furniture, we offer are custom, and we can build around one’s budget.”

The doctor needs to know his or her patient demographic to get started on determining the right design for one’s optical, says Dan Sloan, a member of Fashion Optical Displays’ design team.

“Once we have a description of the patient base, we can start discussing ideas,” he says. “We’ve come to find that optometrists are interested in a long-term investment, so we focus on designs that have staying power.”

Companies that specialize in optical design include:

• Barbara Wright Design

• Ennco Displays

• Eye Designs

• Fashion Optical Displays

• Fluid Designs

• One Interior

• Presenta Nova ■

A SNAPSHOT OF EYEWEAR IN THE U.S.

• 41% of adults wearing eyewear are age 55 and older.

• 25% of adults wearing eyewear are 18 to 34 years old

• 15% of adults wearing eyewear are 35 to 44 years old

• 18.8% of adults wearing eyewear are 45 to 54 years old

• 15.7% of adults, older than 18 bought photochromic lenses in 2015

• Scratch resistance, weight/lightness and thinness are the top three attributes of ophthalmic lenses most important to consumers.

Courtesy of The Vision Council’s VisionWatch Market Research Report

IOP-MEASURING CONTACT LENS GETS FDA NOD

Triggerfish (Sensimed SA), a one-time-use contact lens that measures IOP fluctuations through a 24-hour period to aid eye care practitioners in determining the best time of day to measure a glaucoma patient’s IOP, has received FDA approval.

“We measure glaucoma patient’s intraocular pressure a few times a year. We never really know what that pressure is doing between visits,” explains Danica Marrelli, O.D., University of Houston College of Optometry clinical professor, director of Ocular Diagnostic and Medical Eye Service and member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society. “Having a device that can measure IOP (or its surrogate) over an extended period of time may help identify patients with periodic spikes or significant fluctuations. In treated patients, it may give us information about whether our treatment is consistently lowering IOP throughout an extended period. We simply cannot get this type of information without technology like this.”

Triggerfish contains a sensor that transmits IOP fluctuation data to a portable recorder, which transfers the data via Bluetooth to the eye care practitioner’s computer.

Courtesy of SENSIMED SA

Clinical trials on the device revealed that the most common temporary side effects were contact lens-caused pressure marks, punctate keratitis and ocular hyperemia ■

COOPERVISION HONORS ‘BEST PRACTICES’

CooperVision unveiled its first Best Practices honorees, who were chosen for going above and beyond in terms of delivering, “exceptional care to their patients, even in the face of increasing competition.” The honorees included:

• Advanced Eye Care Professionals, P.C., Oak Lawn, Ill.

• Coan Eye Care, Ocoee, Fla.

• Eola Eyes, Orlando, Fla.

• The Eye Doctors, Tampa, Fla.

• Family Eyecare of Roswell, Roswell, Ga.

• San Ramon Family Optometry, Inc., San Ramon, Calif.

• Somers Eye Center, Somers, N.Y.

• VisionArts Eyecare Center, Fulton, Mo.

• Vision Health Institute, Orlando, Fla.

• Wilson Eye Center, Valdosta, Ga.

Practices fitting contact lenses were eligible to receive the award. To learn about this year’s Best Practices program, visit www.eyecarebestpractices.com

MILLENNIALS USE VISION BENEFITS

When it comes to taking advantage of vision benefits, millennials lead the pack with almost 30% of employees ages 18 to 34 using their vision plan more than once to pay for an eye health appointment in the past year, reveals Transition Optical’s “2016 Employee Perceptions of Vision Benefits” survey, an annual assessment of vision benefit and eye exam usage and what defines “stylish” eyewear. Meanwhile, Generation X came in second and baby boomers finished last.

“According to research, nearsightedness among millennials has become a global epidemic, doubling from Generation X to millennials. In addition, some millennials are seeking LASIK surgery, while others are wearing glasses as a fashion statement, which they weren’t decades ago,” says Dan Schawbel, a millennial career and workplace expert ■

EYE CARE GROUP OFFERS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Eye Care Leaders Group (ECL), formerly 2020EHR, is offering an array of practice performance solutions, as demonstrated at SECO. These “profitability-boosting” services include:

• Business intelligence. Analytics that assist practices with payer contracts, financial forecasting, benchmarking, etc.

• Revenue cycle management (RCM). Practices can outsource their RCM with the company’s “pay-for-performance” options.

• Optical. Optical management tools can provide a reliable source of non-insurance-dependent revenue.

• Practice-building services. Marketing online reputation management, website design, SEO, social media solutions, etc.

• EHR. ManagementPlus, MDoffice, Medflow and more.

For more information, visit www.theeclgroup.com ■