A panel of Contact Lens Institute Visionaries joined Carla Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO, Dip(AAO), FBCLA, at a panel on the Innovation Stage at Vision Expo West to tease a sneak peek of results of research from the Contact Lens Institute. Full results will be shared later this year. Dr. Mack is Head, Global and US Professional Education and Development
Preliminary results are shared here.
The report provided consumer insights on key behaviors that eye care practices can take to retain their contact lens patients. Dr. Mack asked the panelists what takeaways they gleaned from the early research results. For example, one of the key findings was that new wearers benefit from more personalized care to meet their lifestyle needs, more attention from the entire practice team and more encouragement and training.
Dr. Mack asked Janelle Davison, OD, of Smyrna, Georgia; Shalu Pal, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, with a specialty contact lens practice in Toronto, Ontario; and Jennifer Seymour Brusven, LDO, a specialty lens fitter in Las Vegas, Nevada, to share how they provide that.
WHY DO PATIENTS WANT CONTACT LENSES?
Dr. Davison says that asks patients what they plan on doing with their contact lenses. It’s an important question for new wearers so that she can match the “right innovation and the right technology” to that patient’s needs. Even with longer-term contact lenses wearers, these types of questions are important. “As patients transition into multifocal lenses, I want to be sure I’m taking extra time with them to set expectations and goals,” she says. She uses interoffice messaging to alert staff that that a patient may need some extra handholding—and she can offer these patients a telehealth visits to help ensure that it’s going well.
WHY DID PATIENTS DROP OUT?
Dr. Pal says she’s interested in learning why patients dropped out of contact lenses or didn’t stay with them when they were newly prescribed. “We emphasize that our insertion and removal process is not rushed. I don’t have the time for that, but our staff takes all the time needed to ensure that patients have all of their I&R questions answered properly,” she says. That helps hedge against patients who give up after just a few days.
That’s also why Dr. Pal says her follow up visits are not quick. “Many practitioners think of the follow-up as a quick check. I do not. I’ll watch the patient wash their hands—to be sure that they’re also drying their hands,” she says. She wants to review all of the steps that could help ensure a better wearing experience.
BRING VALUE
Brusven says making sure that patients know they can ask questions brings value to their experience. it’s important to make sure that the team is well-versed in the benefits of different contact lenses. “We have a staff of 20, and everyone has gone through contact lens training and has worn lenses. We live in the desert, so we have our own unique challenges,” she says. Leaning into manufacturer representatives’ lunch-and-learn and other training sessions can be very helpful to make sure that patients feel as though they have a number of people they can reach out to.
Dr. Davison agrees and adds that the team effort is important. “I’ll tee up the innovations in the exam room, but my team reinforces that.” Patients are encouraged to ask questions. “We’ve had patients text a photo of a product from the drug store. The patient might say, ‘I know Dr. Davison said to get this, but is it the right brand?’” Reinforcements like that make the patients more confident.
Dr. Pal uses that same philosophy with trail lenses. “I’ll hand out some extra trails because it can give the patient more time to experience the benefits and also if they drop or tear one, they don’t have to feel like they’re not getting the full experience. They feel like they’re winning, and I say so, too. “We’re going to use my lenses to find exactly the right fit so that we know you’ll be satisfied before you purchase any.’”
