PREPARE FOR THE DYNAMIC STATE OF THE CONTACT LENS MARKETPLACE

COMPETITION IS HEALTHY, THEY SAY. So I don’t feel bad when I see a health kiosk in a pharmacy and challenge whomever is with me to a round of “who has the lowest blood pressure?” For the competitive-minded, life presents near limitless possibilities, including the popular “capture the closest parking spot to the mall entrance,” or “choose the quickest checkout line.”

While much time is rightly spent on analyzing competitors, many champions, from business leaders to Olympians, have said that they, alone, are their true competition. The advantage of this attitude: One will always look for new ways to improve and never rest on the past.

THE FOCUS ON CONTACT LENSES

In this, our annual contact lens issue, OM’s authors provide sound ideas for competing in a dynamic marketplace. In “Deliver a Best-in-Class Contact Lens Experience,”(p.16), author Brett O’Connor, O.D., presents strategies for helping readers maintain a contact lens practice that can compete on both profitability and top levels of patient care.

Gina Wesley, O.D., presents a different take on patient care in “Merchandising” (p.55). By dispelling myths, such as “I can’t wear contact lenses because I have ‘stigmatism,’” practices can expand their base of satisfied contact lens-wearing patients. In “Caring for the Keratoconus Patient” (p.20), Mile Brujic, O.D., demonstrates how to expand that base even further with a “remarkably rewarding” service: offering contact lens wear to keratoconus patients.

One of the keys to keeping patients satisfied is to ensure they enjoy healthy contact lens wear and address problems immediately. Savannah Brunt, O.D., presents a guide to identifying and managing contact lens-related complications in “Cornea” (p.30).

In addition to articles on scleral lens coding (p.52) and patient compliance with proper lens hygiene (p.36), OM looks ahead to a potential solution for presbyopic patients in “Extended Depth of Focus Lenses” (p.22) Here, Associate Editor Shannon Simcox discusses how EDOF lenses work and how they may benefit your patients.

And with that nod to the future, OM wishes you health, happiness and success in the new year. OM