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  PRACTICE PROFILE: THE UNIQUE SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

CENTER ON THE PATIENT

IN OPENING MY PRACTICE, I THOUGHT OF MY CONSUMERS

NYTARSHA THOMAS, O.D.

A 72-YEAR-OLD woman presented for her annual exam. As I introduced myself, she crumbled into tears. She was anxious and under the impression she was going blind. Her previous doctor told her she was old, and, therefore had cataracts — and with a puff of smoke, he was gone. She said she had been memorizing her grandchildren’s faces, because she didn’t know how much longer she would be able to see them. Had the doctor taken just five minutes to explain what cataracts were and what could be done about them, it would have made a huge difference in this woman’s life.

When I opened Visionelle Eyecare, Zionsville, Ind., I decided we would do things differently. We spend more time with our patients because the extra education helps them take part in their own health care. Here’s how I built my patient-centered practice.

CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT

We built our practice with the patient’s comfort in mind. We created a spa-like environment, highlighting clean and organized features. We used bright lighting to make the office feel like home and highlight details in our luxury frames. We bring in small touches to ignite all of the senses, such as a scent machine and music playing, to circulate aromas and sound throughout the office, and provide a memorable experience.

One-on-one time with the patient.
Courtesy of Lori Koppold

BUILDING IN THE TIME

A doctor once told me, seven minutes was more than enough time to be with a patient. At Visionelle, exam slots are typically 30 minutes each for an annual comprehensive exam. That said, on average, we spend more than 60 minutes per patient. We allot time to answer our patients’ questions and to educate.

To accomplish this, we don’t accept vision plans that don’t compensate well enough to support this model. In addition, all staff are cross trained to transition from one job to the next when more help is needed.

TRAINING STAFF IN ALIGNMENT WITH GOALS

We have weekly staff meetings, which include staff training on common eye disorders. This is important so staff members can also answer patient questions. The staff has the option of printing additional information about common disorders to hand out or to mail to the patient.

OFFERING INNOVATION

We recommend the best products, whether that is daily lenses, PALs or multiple pairs of spectacles. About 90% of the time, the patient purchases what we recommend. I attribute this to the education given in the exam room and in the optical. As doctors, it’s our job to offer patients the most innovative and healthy options. Saving the patient money should not be overly emphasized at the expense of eye health.

PATIENTS AND FRIENDS

The best way to market our practice is to spend time with our patients, make friends with them and let them know that we care about their needs and the needs of anyone they refer to us. We will never be able to keep our prices as low as corporate chains, but we make up for that in outstanding service. OM

NYTARSHA THOMAS, O.D., is founder of Visionelle Eyecare, Zionsville Ind. She is a member of the IOA, AOA, COVD and the Lions Club. To reach Dr. Thomas, email her at info@VisionelleEyecare.com or to comment on this article visit tinyurl.com/OMComment.