Read more from the Q&A issue

• Methodology: Keep the questions coming
• How can optometrists efficiently schedule ocular disease patients in light of the COVID-19 pandemic?
• How can optometrists create a successful dry eye disease spa?
• How can an optometrist include the patient’s opinion when it comes to glaucoma treatment?
• How can O.D.s differentiate the neovascular form of AMD from similar diseases?
• How can an optometrist obtain diabetic patient referrals from a primary care physician?
• What should optometrists know about effective management of myopia?
• How can optometrists set up an appropriate fee schedule for specialty contact lenses?
• How can O.D.s get more engaged in luxury frame sales?
• How can optometrists get more new patients?
• How can an optometrist create a successful practice sans third party health plans?
• How do O.D.s create a system for quick and efficient coding?

A: I have found that effectively addressing contact lens exam fee concerns helps patients to see the value of the services we provide and will, therefore, keep them coming back year after year. While our patients have multiple options on where to receive their contact lenses, including from online vendors, we know that we, as optometrists, are the best option to support their eye health. Letting them know why that is the case allows us to qualify our fees and create loyal patients.

The following questions will help answer the original question and provide a step-by-step framework for instituting contact lens exam fee education within your office.

Q: HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUR CONTACT LENS EXAM?

The first person who needs to be convinced of the value you provide, believe it or not, is you. Is fitting contact lenses just about keratometry and refraction and then prescribing your favorite lens brand? Of course not! You perform a battery of tests to obtain the correct fit for your patient. These fits require, at minimum, a case history and a new set of contact lens acuities. Additional testing may require topography. But, even the most routine contact lens fit requires a slit lamp evaluation that now has a different emphasis on the cornea, conjunctiva and tear film. These factors call for a longer exam, additional staffing and follow-up appointments. Optometrists who do not value their services may discount themselves or inadequately communicate value to the patient.

Q: HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE THIS SAME VALUE FOR OUR SERVICE TO OUR PATIENTS?

While the perspective listed above and its subsequent value is something that we now all appreciate, this is not something that is easily recognized by our patients. It requires education.

Our patients will appreciate our contact lens exam fees when they understand more about what is involved in prescribing their contact lenses. As a result, during your time with the patient, take care to provide an explanation of what you’re doing and why at each step. This education helps patients better appreciate the connection between your level of care and your fees. Here are some examples:

• Educating the patient about the value of the contact lens exam can start as early as the check-in process. Paperwork that discusses exam fees should contain a brief explanation of what a contact lens evaluation includes. Whether it’s addressing additional tests or acknowledging the extra steps the staff will be taking to ensure the contact lenses are comfortable and healthy, this brief description can go a long way in helping qualify your fees.
• Once in the exam room, we can take this patient education piece to a whole different level. This can be most effective when you take the time to explain the different portions of the exam. For example, instead of just selecting the lens you want to fit, use a sentence or two to help the patient understand how your equipment helped you come to that conclusion. You can say something like: “This slit lamp examination gives me a highly detailed view of the area of your eye the contact lens sits on. This goes a long way in finding the most comfortable fit for you.” Another example: You could highlight your topographer stating that, “it’s collecting computerized data to help me find a lens that will fit you best.” Simple comments like these are a quick reminder to the patient that there is a reason for the fees you charge.

BOXES OF CONTACT LENSES SOLD

Recent GPN x EB Optometric Business Tracker data, covering more than 2,900 private practice locations across the U.S., indicated total boxes of contact lenses sold as relatively flat, as compared to the same time period in 2020 and 2019.

 

 

Q: HOW DO WE APPRECIATE THE PATIENT'S MINDSET?

Another item we should address is the overall mindset of the patient. We want to try and get patients out of thinking that fees are being charged just because we are doing more. Although we are spending more time with contact lens patients and may perform certain extra tests, we want our contact lens patients to understand that our fees are more for the extra responsibility required in caring for them. This perspective is very helpful for patients who have been wearing contact lenses for years, as they’ve experienced the value of our services. Specifically, it is much easier for these patients to appreciate more of a holistic approach as opposed to just updating lenses that they have been using for years, which we should be doing. (See next paragraph.) Let newer patients know you are taking on an additional responsibility by monitoring them for conditions, such as blepharitis, that can have an impact on their contact lens wear. Also let them know that you are evaluating the other aspects of eye health, such as dry eye disease and ocular allergies, that affect contact lenses.

Another way to help the patient see the value in the exam fee is by offering new technology. Fortunately, there are always new products, such as modalities, lens materials, solutions, coatings, etc., coming out in the contact lens industry. Promote those products, by, for example, making new recommendations to your patients each year. Remember we are talking about value. If you offer the same lenses year after year, you can see how a patient might question a “contact lens exam fee.” In their eyes, you aren’t really doing anything different. Offering new products changes the whole dynamic. If your practice always mentions new technology, even if the patient does not take you up on it, he likely will appreciate that his doctor is well informed on current industry trends, which can create patient loyalty.

Q: IS THIS WORTH THE PRICE?

Finally, we should be very clear about the service and convenience that is provided at brick-and-mortar practices. Specifically, we should remind contact lens patients that we are available to assist with ripped or torn lenses, product changes and the occasional red eye. None of these services are offered by an online vendor.

Let's not let our patients be in a situation where they might be thinking, “is this worth the price?” We should be our investing time and energy in helping patients see the value of the services provided. OM

DR. COMPTON owns two private practices, Compton Eye Associates in the New York City area. He is the president/founder of TheRightContact.com , a contact lens resource used by eye care professionals. He reports no financial disclosures.