DURING A research session in Chicago, an eyeglass-wearing lawyer repeatedly complained of the “incompetence” of his current optometrist. Afterwards, I had a chance to evaluate his eyewear. He was wearing a low-cost progressive lens that wasn’t providing him with his desired near vision, and he placed the blame solely on his O.D., repeatedly stating his intention to “find another doctor” for his next appointment.

Fairly or not, many patients evaluate a practitioner’s skill by the performance of their new eyewear. The good news: Familiarizing yourself with and recommending premium ophthalmic technologies can improve both your patients’ vision and their perception of your skill as an optometrist, prompting friend and family referrals.

Obviously clear vision is No. 1, but here are other premium product features and how to discuss them with patients.

LENS APPEARANCE

Most negative associations wearers have with their spectacle lenses are cosmetic in nature: “I don’t like the appearance of my eyewear.” Removing unsightly reflections goes a long way to improving lens appearance, yet only 40% of eyeglasses sold in the U.S. feature no-glare lenses. Since no-glare lenses also improve visual performance (via increased contrast perception), no-glare should be an easy recommendation from the chair. Frame selection also has a significant impact on lens appearance, so ensure your dispensary staff includes at least one optician well-versed in the geometry of ophthalmic lenses.

Product tip. To ensure the no-glare lenses you recommend are easy-to-clean (another feature important to eyeglass wearers), test a sample lens with a “Post-it” note or a “Sharpie” marker. The note should not stick, and the pen should not write on an easy-to-clean (hydrophobic) lens.

How to recommend. Ask the patient not currently wearing a no-glare spectacle lens, “Do you experience any visual challenges when driving at night or during computer use?” After they, inevitably, complain about headlight reflections and halos, explain how no-glare lenses can improve night vision. For example, “No-glare lenses provide sharper vision at night by eliminating distracting reflected glare.”

Another approach is to ask the patient whether they notice they see better in the exam room than they do in “real life.” When the patient responds, “Yes,” explain that the phoropter used during the refraction has no-glare lenses, “which, by the way, are also available for your eyewear.”

LENS DURABILITY

Eyewear consumers hate scratches. The key to avoiding them and, thus, satisfying your patients, is to provide a non-scratch lens.

Product tip. There are two types of scratch coatings: thermally cured and UV-cured coatings. Thermally cured coatings provide better durability because they are literally baked on to the lens, which eliminates peeling. Also, they provide a better foundation for no-glare coatings. A no-glare stack is like a thin microscope slide (very thin and brittle). By comparison, lens substrates are like sponges (soft and compactible). Place the slide on a sponge, push down with your finger, and it’s easy to see one of the challenges of no-glare coatings! Thermally cured coatings provide a harder foundation for the stack (they have silica in them, so it’s like putting the slide on a glass tabletop). UV-cured coatings are easier and less expensive to apply, but they’re more likely to peel and provide a softer foundation for no-glare stacks.

How to recommend. Since patients typically do not realize there are differences in lens products, it is important to simply tell the patient your practice uses lenses “with improved durability.” Avoid references to “scratch resistance,” because patients have a habit of hearing “scratch proof.” Thermally cured lenses will typically provide lenses that are noticeably more resistant to scratching, which leads to happy patients!

LENS MATERIAL

If your practice is still dispensing plastic (1.50) lenses, just stop! Plastic is an outdated lens material that is steadily declining in the United States.

Product tips. For that large segment of patients who have prescriptions between -3.00D and +3.00D, at the very least, recommend polycarbonate (the most sold material in the U.S.), which is considerably lighter and thinner, less prone to breakage and naturally blocks UV light (all at a price that is extremely competitive with 1.50).

For drill mount frames, Trivex or 1.60 high-index lens materials are the choice, due to their resistance to cracking. Polycarbonate and 1.67 materials can be very durable in drill mounts if care is taken during the drilling and mounting process. Ensuring drill mount holes are correctly sized and chamfered (a bevel placed around the hole to reduce microcracks in the hard coat, which can propagate into lens cracks) will ensure drill mounts are durable.

For patients who have prescriptions greater than ±3.00D, consider 1.67, 1.71 or 1.74 high-index lens materials. This is because patients with significant prescriptions tend to be more engaged with their eyewear, as they recognize it is critical to their quality of life.

How to recommend. Asking (or having your staff ask) whether the patient would like their eyewear to be lighter or thinner is an easy segue to a material recommendation. Again, focus on the benefit to the patient. For example, if you want to provide polycarbonate lenses, simply state: “Our office provides lenses that are lighter and thinner, shatter resistant, and shield your eyes from UV damage.” The patient really never needs to hear the term “polycarbonate.”

LENS DESIGN

When it comes to lens design, do not ignore single vision (SV) lenses, which represent well over half the ophthalmic market.

Product tip. Online retailers are quickly commoditizing ordinary SV lenses, so differentiate yourself by recommending enhanced SV lenses. For example, several manufacturers offer enhanced SV lenses with various levels of accommodative relief built in to the lower portion of the lens to reduce digital eye strain. Can a small amount of accommodative relief really make a difference? One wearer study found that 80% of SV wearers preferred enhanced SV lenses vs. their ordinary lenses when using electronic devices. Something else to keep in mind: More than 65% of patients younger than age 30 are experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain, according to The Vision Council 2016 Digital Eye Strain Report, but most fail to mention their symptoms because they believe there is no solution or fear being told to reduce their device use. There are also specialty lenses featuring prism and other characteristics that can reduce eye strain.

Regarding progressive lenses, although more than 300 designs are on the market, the average progressive wearer believes there is only one, which is why a patient dissatisfied with the vision provided by their progressive lens invariably requests a “recheck,” thinking the trouble lies with the prescription, not the lens.

Product tip. Look for progressive lens designs that have proven performance. All progressive lenses are not the same. White papers on progressive lens design may not be the most entertaining reading, but they should provide a scientific/optical basis for any performance claims being made by the manufacturer. Ask your manufacturer’s lens consultant to provide white papers to validate performance claims.

How to Recommend. For enhanced SV lenses, simply ask your younger patients, “Are you noticing any eye strain,” and follow up with a recommendation for a lens that can reduce the stress electronic devices can place on their eyes. That said, do not suggest the lens will “help them read,” as research shows younger wearers immediately associate this description with the bifocals their grandparents wear, dissuading these patients from purchasing enhanced SV lenses.

When it comes to progressive lenses, use the information from the white papers to make a recommendation that connects a benefit with the patient’s “real life” situation. For example, “I’m recommending Brand X progressive lenses because they reduce the off-balance feeling progressive lenses can produce on stairways.” (Unless the patient is an engineer, don’t bother trying to explain the technologies in their progressives, just focus on the visual benefits.)

UV AND BLUE LIGHT PROTECTION

Market research suggests a significant (and growing) segment of patients are concerned about blue and UV light, so providing lenses that filter harmful light makes sense.

Product tip. At the very least, patients should be advised to wear protective sun lenses when outdoors. Only one in 15 prescription eyeglass wearers have prescription polarized sun lenses, even though polarized lenses provide exceptional protection and ideal comfort in sunlight. Prescription polarized sun lenses block UVA and UVB, as well as a large percentage of the blue light emitted by the sun.

How to Recommend. Consider bundling UV and blue light education during your exam room conversation. For example, “It is important to protect your eyes from exposure to harmful light. The sun emits enough UV and blue light to damage your eyes, so you should definitely wear protective lenses outside. Electronic devices emit similar harmful light at far lower levels. It is unknown whether the amount of light emitted by your devices is sufficient to damage your eyes, but there are lenses that can reduce your exposure and look like regular, clear lenses.”

Whatever recommendations you make regarding harmful light, be sure to have the conversation because it is a topic your patient is concerned about. Providing education raises your patient’s perception of your value as their health provider.

A REFLECTION ON YOU

The eyeglass lenses you provide go a long way in determining how your spectacle-wearing patients see you (pun intended), so take the time to educate yourself on the features of premium lens products available, and do not hesitate to recommend them to patients you feel could benefit from them. And, if you happen to recommend branded products, be sure your patients know the brand they are receiving. Perhaps the greatest value of ophthalmic marketing (e.g., commercials on TV) is the reinforcement they provide to the patient already wearing the product: “Hey, that’s the product I’m wearing. My doctor gave me the good stuff!” OM

MR. HANLIN is a master optician residing in Dallas, where he is employed by Essilor of America as senior director of Professional Solutions. Email him at phanlin@essilorusa.com.