Insights From Our Editors

Do You Have a Dedicated Children’s Area in Your Office?

June 10, 2015

Many eyecare providers are finding it worthwhile to devote a portion of their office especially to children, findings from Jobson Optical Research’s 2015 Selling Eyewear to Children report suggest. Some 70.4 percent of ECPs stated that they created a separate area for children (ages 0-17), the study reveals. Out of this group, 92.3 percent dedicated this area for “kids” (ages 4-8).

Click HERE to purchase Jobson Optical Research’s 2015 Selling Eyewear to Children report.

Are you kid-friendly? A simple way to gauge your effectiveness in this area is to review what is being done in the office to address the top concerns children have when going to the doctor. First of all, we need to know what these concerns are. The top concerns children report about going to the doctor are:
1) Separation from parents

2) Pain – a part of the exam or procedure will hurt

3) The doctor’s manner is not kid-friendly

4) The problem is much worse than people are telling them

5) Guilt – their condition is punishment for something they’ve done

There are many ways to address these concerns. Here’s a list of things to consider:

1) Devote a portion of your reception area to children.

2) Have age-appropriate activities for children in your reception area.

3) Remove your white coat when examining children.

4) Talk to the child before talking to the parents.Never ignore the child.

5) Get on eye level with the child – never hover over them.

6) Use gentle language. This is a great idea even for our adult patients. Which language is more gentle – (a) contact lens insertion and removal, or (b) contact lens education? Every day of the week, I’d rather be educated than have something inserted.

7) Don’t talk down to children. This is another idea we should use with all our patients.

8) Be honest, but don’t go into alarming detail. I hate it when my dentist says “You’re going to feel a little pinch,” and then sticks a needle in my gums. They’re teaching me not to trust what they say.

9) Smile.

10) Did we say smile? Smile.A frowning doctor scares kids.I know because a frowning doctor scares me.

This list is not exclusive. There are many more ways to address these concerns. Take this week to review the solutions you utilize in your office to address the concerns kids have when going to the doctor.Improve the way you actively and effectively address the above five concerns.This exercise will help you provide better care to all your patients.

Click HERE to read more about creating a kid-friendly office.

Save

To Top
Subscribe Today for Free...
And join more than 35,000 optometric colleagues who have made Review of Optometric Business their daily business advisor.