I have found that a well-executed patient handoff from the optometrist to the optician is crucial for patient compliance to their prescribed eyewear. This is because doing so transfers patient trust from the OD to the optician. What’s more, a patient’s time spent waiting for an optician to become free to help them can have a negative effect on optical capture rate. One reason for this is the patient equating the wait time with poor customer service, which can prompt them to buy their eyewear elsewhere. (See “I can’t shop today,” below.)

Here, I provide tips on this well-executed patient handoff from the optometrist to the optician to enable patients to acquire the eyewear that best meets their needs, while also increasing a practice’s revenue.

Prescribe in the Exam Room

An OD’s prescriptions made in the exam room carry significant weight in increasing the likelihood of patient compliance to them. This is because the patient views the optometrist as the ocular health and vision expert. Therefore, the optometrist should reinforce they’re the expert by prescribing from the exam room the specific eyewear they feel will benefit the patient. Note: This requires knowledge on the latest frames and spectacle lenses.

Signal the Optician to the Exam Room

A common patient handoff from the OD to the optician involves the optometrist walking the patient to the optical department, repeating the same one or more prescriptions to the optician, and then departing to see their next patient. I don’t think this is the best approach for three reasons:

1. If the optical department is backed up, the patient is told to browse or wait until someone is available (see the first paragraph of this article for the impression this can give the patient).
2. The OD risks violating HIPAA, should other patients be within earshot of the one or more prescriptions.
3. Having optical staff come to the exam room is more efficient. Specifically, it eliminates the time the optometrist must spend walking back and forth between the exam room and the optical department, allowing that time to be used for meaningful communication with patients.

My doctor-patient handoff approach is to signal an optical staff member to enter the exam room when I am presenting my detailed plan of action tailored to the patient’s chief complaint, exam findings, and their lifestyle (e.g. gardening, golfing, etc.). Specifically, the practice has a doorbell that rings in the optical to alert available assistants that the doctor is calling them to the room. Additionally, I have used pop-up chat boxes and team viewer from a patient communication system to let staff know to enter the exam room. I have also sent text messages to assistant’s phones. 

Ensuring that an optician will be ready is the key. Having an area where opticians are working on tasks other than frame selection has been our way of achieving this. Staff rotate who is going to the optical and remaining in the lab area.

Further, I have had “super techs,” meaning they perform pretesting and assist with frame selection. That system requires the technician to keep tabs on the particular patient they performed pretesting on.

An example patient script regarding meeting the optician: “Ms. Jones, this is Molly, one of our opticians. I’ve asked her to be present during the prescription portion of your exam to ensure we are all on the same page with regard to your vision needs today. You mentioned that you have noticed that text messages have become harder to read and that you are having trouble seeing your computer at work. Today’s exam findings reveal a prescription is needed for progressive multifocal lenses for full-time wear, as this prescription will improve your vision from 20/60 to 20/20. Additionally, I’m prescribing a separate prescription for computer use, set for screen distance with glare-free lenses, to improve your vision while you view your computer.”

Have the Optician Repeat the Full Prescription

Asking the optician to repeat the patient’s full prescription, along with all the optometrist’s reasons for it, reiterates to the patient the importance of the full prescription and the fact that the optician is trusted by the OD to deliver it correctly.

Additionally, this process provides both the optometrist and the optician the opportunity to clarify the full prescription for the patient and address any questions the patient may have. This is recognized by patients as exceptional customer service, which I have found can increase the likelihood of one or more purchases of eyewear.

An example patient question: “Did my prescription change?” Developing a clear answer to this query is important for guiding the next steps. Some patients may need to replace scratched lenses or worn-out frames, even if their prescription has not changed. Addressing these concerns is key to maintaining patient satisfaction and compliance. The decision to purchase eyewear is often made before the exam, but patient education and exceptional customer service can sway this decision in both the patient’s and practice’s favor.

Another example patient question: “Can you please give me my pupillary distance (PD) measurement?” If a patient asks for their PD, it’s clear to me they have already been shopping online for their eyewear. In my opinion, withholding the PD measurement is perceived by patients negatively. Giving the patient their PD and educating them about additional measurements that will be verified in office is a good start to showing them the value of purchasing their eyewear with you. Additionally, offering a budget friendly option may allow the patient to fill their prescription in office.

Provide the Optician With a Checklist or Routing Slip

Giving the optician written support, such as a checklist or routing slip, in front of the patient to document the full prescription also works to reinforce the importance of the optometrist’s plan of care, while helping to prevent potential misunderstandings or omissions later in the eyewear-selection process.

Keep in mind that the more handoffs that occur, the greater the likelihood of miscommunication. Remember the game of “Telephone” where a message is distorted as it is passed along?

Success

Despite the best efforts in improving the doctor patient handoff to the optician, not all patients will choose to purchase eyewear from the practice. That said, I have found that the tips provided above have increased my spectacle capture rate, in addition to fostering a positive environment where patients feel cared for and valued. This has, in turn, created loyalty to my practice for all their ocular health needs. OM

Angela C. Howell, OD, FAAO, FCOVD, , practices at Elite Eyecare & Optical, in Jonesboro, Ark. She specializes in pediatrics, geriatrics, vision therapy, and special contact lens fittings. Additionally, she is an adjunct faculty at Southern College of Optometry.