This time last year, many optometric practices remained closed, except for emergency visits or reduced hours of operation. As a result, there were far fewer patients to pre-appoint or recall for exams this year, notes Jay Petersma, O.D., who practices in Johnston, Iowa.

“I’m interested in what these optometrists are doing to find and contact these patients,” he says. “How are they getting through, without being overbearing with text bombing and email overload, now that people don’t answer their phone, unless it’s someone in their contact list?”

 

 

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Frank Giardina, O.D., who practices in Nipomo, Calif., says he finds the simplest way to fill the appointment book is to ask the patient about others.

“When a patient is checking out, we ask one simple, direct question: Would you like to schedule an appointment for other family members?”

Dori M. Carlson, O.D., MAL, F.A.A.O., past president of the American Optometric Association, who practices in Park River, ND, says her practice has performed these action steps, which have been successful:

“Each April, we have a Spring Fling sale, which is 25% off a complete pair of eyewear or sunglasses (frames and lenses),” she says. “Additionally, we consistently email/text reactivation for those who have not been seen in a while. In early to mid-March, we sent out a ‘snail mail’ version of reactivation. If patients bring in the letter or mention they received one, they get a 25% savings on any eyewear purchase. Initial tracking of the response has been positive.”

Some practices, however, have not seen an issue, as they have actually had to reduce the number of appointment slots per day, so they have patients booking out further than ever before. Ian Ben Gaddie says he is not experiencing a slowdown, as Kentucky experienced a short shut down for comprehensive eye care.

“Our pre-appointing process and recall services are still performing,” he says. “If anything, we are having to book out further than we would like because of some reduction in our schedule to allow for COVID-19 measures to ensure safety.”

He adds that the practice overcomes the phone issue by relying on social media and its software appointment management system. (For more on this topic, see “Stay in Touch” and "Implement a Patient Recall System.") OM