With the vast subspecialities in optometry, patients who have more than one ocular health and vision issue, and ever-changing advances in eye care, how can optometrists ensure they’re covering all the bases regarding the latest pertinent treatments and products during the scheduled exam slot? Let me tell you a secret: You can’t! There is simply not enough time to cover every relatable topic during a scheduled exam slot. The good news: Various areas of ingenuity that create efficiency by replacing verbal education from the OD exist.

Here, I discuss this ingenuity. But, before I dive in, I want optometrists to remember one thing: Keep it simple! Both for your sanity and your patients’ attention span. (See “General Marketing Ideas,” p.36.)

PRACTICE WEBSITE TREATMENT/PRODUCT FIELDS

Who doesn’t own a smartphone nowadays? With the Internet at current and prospective patients’ fingertips, it makes sense to include the latest and greatest treatment and product offerings on the optometric practice’s website, a non-verbal means of providing patient education efficiently.

On the Jensen Optometrists, PLLC practice website (jensenop.com ), for example, a “Product” heading on the site’s menu takes patients to a list of offered frames, a guide to sunwear selection, and contact lenses, such as corneal refractive therapy, that the practice offers.

For a practice website to be an effective tool for educating patients on treatments and products efficiently, it must be constantly updated to show both current and prospective patients that the practice is on the cutting edge. This maintains traffic and, thus, inquiries.

For example, if a practice website contains a dry eye disease treatments section that includes a list of lid hygiene recommendations and a few anti-inflammatory agents, that section is outdated, and patients who actively use the internet to search for treatments will know it and either leave the practice or never make that first appointment.

Additionally, I suggest ODs keep their practice website simple with easy-to-read and, therefore, accessible headlines, and bullet point formats. Website visitors are scanners of information.

A final note: Optometrists should make sure the practice website is mobile friendly, making the graphics and content easy to see on a smaller device, such as a smartphone. Incidentally, 88.6% of U.S. smartphone owners use it to access the Internet.¹

HANDOUTS FOR THE EXAM ROOM

While the optometric practice is replete with handouts in the both the reception and waiting area for patient consumption, it is, arguably, more important to have them in the exam room. The reasons: Handouts on the latest treatments and products relative to the patient are another non-verbal and, thus, more efficient way to keep patients in the know. Additionally, these handouts are likely to have more of an influence on the patient, as they are being provided in an environment where the OD has a captive audience of one.

As we’re living in the digital age, many patients don’t want the clutter of handouts, which is why optometrists may notice their handout piles in the reception area and waiting room remain fairly high. Thus, to make them more palatable during the exam, I suggest offering to send the patient an electronic version via text or their email, with their permission, of course, vs. a paper one.

Finally, consider personalizing the handouts with your practice’s name, so patients remember who’s providing them with the most up-to-date treatment and/or product choices, and their friends or family members who may have the same one or more diagnoses know where to go as well.

At my practice, for example, our paper handouts are customized on Vistaprint (www.vistaprint.com ) with our logo, photos of the office or our team, our contact information, and practice website. A caveat: It’s important to remember to proofread before the handout order is finalized.

ALLIED STAFF MEMBER ADVOCATES

Allied staff is not only available to answer phones, perform pre-testing and oversee the optical, they are also available to speak on the optometrist’s behalf when it comes to providing patient education. This is yet another efficient way for the OD to deliver information on the latest treatments and products.

Of course, this tactic won’t work unless the allied staff is keenly aware of the latest treatments and products offered at the practice. Accomplishing this will require staff training in the forms of in-house meetings with pharmaceutical companies and product manufacturers, reading related marketing materials, aligning and perfecting patient scripts, and more. While all this requires the optometrist’s time initially, before long, seasoned staff can take the training reigns, also creating efficiency.

Something to consider: ODs should investigate capitalizing on their allied health staff member’s individual talents by, for example, utilizing the artists for creating new treatment/product announcements, handouts, window displays, and chalkboard signs. Such talents work to engage patients in the practice’s offerings, and this can translate to patient buy-in. Optometrists can pay someone else to advertise and market for them, but nothing beats that personal touch that only your team can deliver.

One example of staff training that helped with patient education was our recent training on botulinum toxin for cosmetic reasons. Specifically, I provided a PowerPoint presentation as a form of staff education that included pricing, muscles, different botulinum toxins for purchase, etc. The training continued as technicians shadowed me when I administered the Botox.

The technicians set everything up and put everything away. They assisted during the procedure, and afterwards, they helped with check-out. By observing the entire procedure, staff can accurately and informatively discuss the new procedure with patients.

General Marketing Ideas

Marketing reminds me of the adage, “you don’t know what you don’t know,” so tell them! Over the years, I have collected ideas from other businesses and have come up with ideas of my own to bring awareness of the practice. Here are some examples:

WE offer an annual $500 Healthcare Scholarship for a graduating senior who plans to pursue an education in the health care field.

 

WE created door hangers to place on recently sold homes that we find on Zillow.

 

 

WE provide tumblers with our logo and phone number on them to new patients, along with a card that outlines our referral program.

 

 

WE send patients who refer new patients a $10 gift card, with a card signed by our team.

 

DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS

When a new treatment for an ocular condition, such as ocular allergy, or a new frame, contact lens, or ophthalmic lens, among other advances becomes available at the practice, another way to provide patient education efficiently, is to employ the practice’s social media channels.

Additionally, the same content can be shared among the practice’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts and via email blasts and text messages to further this efficient delivery of patient education.

Further, ODs may have one or more staff members who are adept at social media posts and can, therefore, take on this role.

WORK SMART, NOT HARD

It’s wonderful and exciting that technology in eye care is advancing at such a fast pace. After all, it solves our patients’ vision and ocular health issues, enhancing their quality of life.

Additionally, our ability to offer said technology creates and maintains patient loyalty. Faced with this influx of offerings and limited time during annual exams, it’s a no brainer to employ different forms of ingenuity that can effectively and efficiently replace the OD’s verbal explanation. All the above enable that. OM

REFERENCES

1. Statista. Mobile internet usage in the United States - statistics & facts. https://www.statista.com/topics/3124/mobile-internet-usage-in-the-united-states/#dossierContents__outerWrapper . (Accessed July 2, 2022).

DR. JENSEN practices at Jensen Optometrists where she provides primary eye care to an array of patient populations. She is a member of the Iowa Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association, and enjoys advocating for optometry through various grass roots efforts and organizations.