One day, Eliza Zimmerman, ABOC, faced something she has spent years talking to patients about—the phenomenon of waking up one day and not being able to see clearly up close. Almost overnight, she realized she was presbyopic. As an optician and consultant, she knew how to coach others on communicating with patients with presbyopia, but experiencing it herself gave her a whole new perspective.
“It wasn’t until I personally experienced the frustration of presbyopia that I truly understood how patients feel when changes in their vision—however small—are downplayed or not fully addressed,” she says. Now, she’s using her firsthand experience to help eye care professionals (ECPs) change the way they talk to patients about their prescriptions, ensuring that even minor changes are taken seriously.
EVOLVING THE CONVERSATION
Something Zimmerman has seen firsthand in numerous practices is ECPs unintentionally downplaying the importance of new prescriptions.
“Patients will say, ‘I’ll wait until next time,’ and sometimes ECPs reinforce that idea—assuming a minor prescription change isn’t worth discussing, especially if they assume a patient can’t afford it,” she says.
Instead of leading with price or assuming patients won’t invest in new lenses, Zimmerman encourages opticians and ODs to focus on education first. “If patients leave your practice thinking they don’t need something, there’s a gap in communication,” she says. “Even a small prescription change can have a big impact on daily life.”
A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE
Zimmerman now understands that gap more than ever. Since developing presbyopia, she’s seen how easy it is for patients to dismiss early symptoms—especially when even well-meaning providers suggest over-the-counter readers as a quick fix.
“Even my dad tells his friends, ‘Just grab a +1 reader from the drugstore,’ and I joke, ‘You’re going to get me kicked out of the optical community!’ Adopt a mindset shift—we can do better for our eyes and our patients.”
Instead of making price the first topic of discussion—“Your insurance covers up to $150”—Zimmerman suggests shifting the conversation to how the right lens will improve daily life. “If patients only compare price points, you’ll always lose to a cheaper competitor. But if they understand why a particular solution is best for them, they’re more likely to invest.”
DON’T DELAY
Another important piece of the puzzle is not avoid the conversation with newly presbyopic patients. “On average, patients get into their first progressive lenses in their early 50s,” Zimmerman says. “People are becoming presbyopic even in their late 30s. As ECPs, we sometimes delay the conversation because we don’t want to tell people they are getting older, or we may be afraid of giving the patient sticker shock.”
But delaying a patient’s progressive lens introduction only does a disservice to patients and providers alike, Zimmerman says. “Patients feel like we are not meeting their needs, even if it’s hard for them to accept that they now need eyeglasses. And from a business perspective, we miss out on not just revenue, but patient trust and loyalty. Avoiding the conversation is the opposite of a win-win!”
Zimmerman’s key to long-term success is creating trust through personalized, jargon-free conversations. “Opticians don’t have to wear a certain lens to be good at explaining it, but they do need to understand a patient’s lifestyle,” she says. “If you’re constantly shifting focus between a screen and a desk, for example, readers may not be the best solution. It’s about anticipating needs patients don’t even realize they have.”
She also warns against overwhelming patients with too much technical detail. “Engineers might love a deep dive into progressive lens design, but most people just want to know how it will help them. If we overload them with information, they may walk away saying, ‘That’s a lot to think about—I’ll come back later.’”
SHIFTING MINDSETS
At the end of the day, Zimmerman’s goal is to empower practices to take control of the patient experience. “I always tell ODs: Don’t bring patients into the optical only if you think they’ll buy something. The focus shouldn’t be just on making a sale—it should be about making sure patients understand what’s best for their vision and how your practice stands apart.”
Zimmerman’s experience with presbyopia has reinforced that education and trust-building are at the heart of opticianry. “It’s all about helping people see better and making sure they know their options. That’s how we build relationships and create long-term success.”
