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IMPRESS WITH TECHNOLOGY

HERE’S HOW TO LET PATIENTS KNOW THEY ARE RECEIVING A SPECTACULAR EXAM

GINA M. WESLEY, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O.

MY FAVORITE patient is the adult who has never had a comprehensive eye exam. Ever. (Please suppress your gasps and eye rolls).

Call me nerdy, but I’m excited to be the first person to ever gaze upon his or her ocular fundi, educate him or her as to the wiles of presbyopia (because, ultimately, that’s why he or she is in my chair); and dazzle with my breadth of ocular imaging, OCT, digitized refraction and corneal topography.

My least favorite patient is the exact same patient. Why? He or she doesn’t know any different. The spectacular exam this patient just received is the one that sets the bar as “normal.” How, then, can the patient know he or she was on the receiving end of top-notch diagnostic technology?

Consider these tips to set your exam apart by “merchandising” your advanced diagnostic capabilities.

SET THE BAR

Patients are often surprised to find out what their insurance provider’s definition of a “comprehensive” eye exam involves. Tell them. Let them know what you do (most likely) surpasses that basic insurance classification of the checklist necessary for reimbursement. Chances are, you use many forms of diagnostic technology to enhance your data. Don’t be afraid to charge for those extra tests, which may be optional, as your provider contract allows, especially if those tests augment information that assists you in providing the ultimate in care.

BRING THEM BACK

Many times, the initial exam is the segue for patients to return for additional testing, such as for glaucoma or dry eye disease. Educate your patients, and show them examples of what you will be able to diagnose and treat by garnering further information. This step not only reinforces the image of your practice as one that offers the latest in diagnostic technology, it is also an excellent link to patient compliance.

SHARE STORIES

Sharing stories of similar patients or staff experiences with that technology is also key. I recently read an article about how charisma is actually based in science, and how it connects people to one another. (See “8 Science-Based Ways You Can Increase Your Charisma,” tinyurl.com/charismafreundlich.) Sharing empathy with the patient, as well as anecdotes or stories to help him or her understand the particular malady, will emotionally link him or her to you and your recommendations.

Simple things, such as photos on your website or social media education, are typical explanations that patients expect. But only by experiencing it themselves or connecting emotionally through stories do we best “merchandise” our diagnostic technology.

Next time a first-time patient presents, think to yourself: “Here for your first-ever exam? Bring it. You may not have glaucoma, but I’m going to be able to tell you how I know that and how I will protect you from that eye disease that afflicted your grandmother.” OM

DR. WESLEY practices at Complete Eye Care of Medina, a Vision Source practice, which she opened in 2008. She was honored as Minnesota’s Optometrist of the Year in 2011. Email drwesley@cecofmedina.com, or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.