Do you remember as a kid when you were mistreated, running to your parents and saying, “but it isn’t fair!” The typical parental response still is, “Yes, darling, and you need to learn now that life isn’t always fair.”

It turns out mom and dad were right. Life is not always fair, but that is OK because we can then teach our kids that if they change their view, they can change the outcome. Remember, fair is in the mind of the beholder. Many challenges have an easy solution if I evaluate them in a new way: through the eyes of my patient, who is also my customer.

Colleagues often tell me about a patient encounter and then ask whether they did the right thing. I respond in most cases, “You, of course, are right, however the end result of being right may cost you, in terms of patient loyalty.” At first, it can be so difficult to think past “fair” and instead think of what the result might be. The concept of “Lifetime Patient Value” helped me turn that thought process around. (For more information, see the patient loyalty articles on Dr. Jasper’s author page at bit.ly/OMJasper .)

A LESSON IN PDs

Here is an example: A few years ago, I questioned, should I include pupillary distance (PD) on a patient’s prescription? Of course, if it is not required by state laws and insurance, then, technically, I do not have to. After talking it through with a few colleagues, I came to what I thought was a beautiful, logical, fair decision. I would include the PD on the prescription for a fee.

A few months later, our first patient requested their PD. My optical team explained the fee and well, you can go to Yelp and see two of three negative reviews as a result of this “brilliant,” “fair” decision. After the second bad review in a week (over this same topic), I brought the team together and after a brief discussion on how the decision impacted our patients, we changed our policy.

We now measure PD and print it on every prescription for glasses. Imagine the difference in my attitude and the patient’s when I say at the conclusion of every visit, “Mrs. Jones, thank you so much for choosing us for your eye care needs. Have you found everything about your experience today to be exceptional?”

When we changed our policy, we did not lose customers. Instead, we built trust and reduced the fear people sometimes have that we are limiting their choices. I have learned (trust me; this is not the only time I got it wrong) that my chances of doing the best thing the first time greatly increases if I step back with the help of my team and look at the situation through the patients’ eyes. My vision had to change to change the outcome.

TODAY’S QUESTIONS

There are so many questions coming at us from every direction these days:

1. When do I change office disinfection protocols?
2. How do I recall patients who have sight-threatening disease during a pandemic?
3. What guidelines should I implement, for patients and employees, regarding masks and vaccines?

I would encourage you to take each challenge you face (such as these questions above) and look at the facts (following them when they exist) and then evaluate how the decision you make will be looked upon by your customer and your team. Let your patients be the barometer by which you measure success. OM

Email: april.jasper@pentavisionmedia.com

Twitter: @DrAprilJasper

Facebook: @OptometricManagement