Consider these five strategies for success

In a typical month this year, 35% of my practice’s gross revenue has come from contact lens fitting fees and material sales. Add the fact that these patients are more compliant with their annual visits compared to non-contact lens-wearing primary care patients, and it’s a no-brainer to focus on fitting more contact lenses.

Here, I provide five strategies that have enabled me to bolster contact lens fits.

1 UPGRADE CURRENT WEARERS

My existing contact lens patient base provides a “built-in,” “attentive” market. Therefore, at each annual visit, I discuss how a new contact lens technology addresses either a patient complaint, such as lens awareness, or a clinical finding, such as corneal hypoxia, that I identify during the examination. As a result, current wearers are excited for their visits — I also discuss upcoming products — and they value my ongoing commitment to their vision and ocular health. These are important factors in maintaining patient loyalty and reinforcing the practice’s forward-thinking culture. Something else to keep in mind: Refits prevent contact lens dropout, while generating additional professional service income; everyone wins!

2 PIQUE INTEREST

During a non-contact lens-wearer’s visit, I pose lifestyle questions, such as “what do you like to do outside of work?” to identify activities suited for contact lenses. As examples, patients who attend a lot of social events and those who are exercise enthusiasts recognize the benefits of spectacle-free vision. (Incidentally, daily disposable contact lenses are my modality of choice for these patients as they allow for these on-the-go activities.)

3 CONNECT WITH PARENTS

I have discovered that some parents remain either unaware their children may benefit from contact lens wear, or they are concerned about the associated wear and care regimen. When I see these parents and/or their children, I provide education about contact lens wear for myopia management and daily disposable lenses, which don’t require a care regimen. Both patient types have elected to be fit in contact lenses and have become loyal referral sources.

4 SHOW AND TELL

I have found that non-contact lens-wearing patients who have high-refractive errors have a difficult time “seeing” themselves in frames. Of course, virtual imaging helps, but such patients can express it does not “feel the same” as seeing clearly into a mirror. As a result, I insert a pair of contact lenses prior to sending the patient to the optical. In addition to providing the desired vision, these patients get to experience the comfort, freedom, and vision of contact lenses. Further, this tactic has resulted in frame sales increases, and these patients have converted to contact lens wear.

5 OFFER SPECIALTY LENSES

Honing my expertise and expanding my clinical focus in the “specialty” lens space (e.g., sclerals, custom soft lenses, orthokeratology lenses, hybrid lenses, etc.) has also enabled me to fit more contact lenses. Many in-person and online courses are devoted to all these lenses. As examples, the Gas Permeable Lens Institute (https://www.gpli.info ) and the Scleral Lens Education Society (https://sclerallens.org ) provide education that is helpful for beginners and “experts” alike. OM

DR. RESNICK is president and managing partner at Drs. Farkas, Kassalow, Resnick, and Associates, a contact lens and anterior segment specialty practice in New York. She is a diplomate in the Cornea, Contact Lens, and Refractive Technology section of the AAO, a diplomate of the ABO, and a fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society.