The optometric technician’s involvement in one’s contact lens practice is key in driving both clinical and financial success. This is because they act as an extension of the optometrist’s eyes and ears.
Here, I share five steps the tech can take to cultivate patient interest in wear and enhance fitting process satisfaction.
1. Greet and meet
Have your tech engage current or potential contact lens wearers in small talk on the short walk from the reception area to the pretest area. By “small talk,” I’m referring to how the patient has been and what, if any, activities (recreational, etc.) they’ve been involved in as of late. This information can, in turn, be a springboard for the OD to mention newly available contact lenses or contact lens wear in general as a consideration for the one or more activities the patient is involved in.
2. Measure and mention
Instruct the tech to position the patient comfortably when using pretesting devices, explain exactly what each instrument measures, and why each instrument is important in the context of assessing the patient’s vision and corneal health. Doing so helps to increase the likelihood of accurate data and put the patient at ease.
3. Inform and insert
Have the tech reinforce the specific improvements in vision and/or comfort you are targeting with the contact lens before insertion. This ensures that both the patient and tech are on the same page with expectations, regardless of the patient’s current or previous experience with contact lenses. Also, if diagnostic lenses are not the exact prescription or design, the patient should be advised in advance of insertion and educated that diagnostic lens use is purely a “first step” in the overall fitting process. Now, insert the lens.
4. Demonstrate and dispense
Upon dispensing the final contact lenses and again, regardless of whether the patient is a veteran or new wearer, instruct the tech to both demonstrate and describe proper insertion, removal, and care techniques to ensure proper lens wear and care. Ideally, this should be done in a separate and relatively quiet area, so that no distractions hamper this education. To re-emphasize the importance of proper lens wear and care, have the tech ask patients to repeat their instructions, such as the specific contact lens solution to use, and proper storage case care and replacement protocols.
5. Triage and troubleshoot
Finally, have the tech personally call the patient just a few days after the initial dispensing to determine how they are faring. This way, the tech can answer any questions the patient may have regarding lens insertion, care, or wearing schedule, and communicate with you about questions surrounding vision and comfort.
Five by five
By utilizing the optometric technician in our contact lens practices, we can optimize wear success, resulting in greater patient interest, satisfaction, and loyalty to contact lens wear and our care. OM
In the video below, Dr. Susan Resnick discusses the ideal training for technicians in practices that focus on contact lenses and specialty lenses.
