Doctor Patient Relations

Educate Patients to Promote the Value of Your Products and Services

By Gina Wesley, OD, MS, FAAO

Differentiate yourself and your practice by educating patients on the value and scope of the medical services and optical products you provide.

Independent optometry is in the fight of its life. If consumers perceive eye exams as refractions–and ODs as refractionists–the profession is downgraded to that of a technician, and $35 eye exams will be the norm. Educating patients as to the full scope of services you provide, and the array of vision correction options available through you, differentiates you and your practice from low-cost competitors. Here are educational resources to help you accomplish that.

Educating patients about their eye health is clearly the right thing to do from an ethical standpoint, but why is it also beneficial from a business standpoint?The more a patient understands about their eyes and options for vision correction and health benefits, the more they will perceive the value in your products and services that offer solutions to these issues.

For example, many patients are unaware of the damage that can be done to their eyes by the sun. After I explain the importance to patients of protecting their eyes with quality sunglasses that offer protection from ultra-violet radiation, many go on to purchase sunwear in our optical–and most importantly–begin to protect their eyes from further damage. Other patients are unaware of the difference multifocal contact lenses and progressive eyeglasses can make to their quality of life. Many of these patients, who have been relying solely on readers purchased at the drug store, are surprised to learn how much their vision can be improved with an accurate prescription and superior eyeglasses.

Educate Patient About Eye Health

I believe it’s important to educate patients about their eye health, their current refractive status, all of their vision correction options, what to expect in terms of possible vision changes, and what they can do to keep their eyes healthy. I feature instructional videos in the reception area and exam rooms about the anatomy of the eye and what happens during disease processes such as glaucoma and macular degeneration. There also are professional binders in the reception area highlighting various services such as our ability to diagnose ocular diseases in their early stages with our advanced instrumentation.

In addition, the information provided to patients also addresses common questions in our office such as the insurance we accept and the services we offer children and teens. In addition to these in-office videos and print materials, education occurs through conversation with my staff members, on my website, and most importantly, through my consultation with them.I delegate much of the information-gathering to my staff so during the exam I can spend more time counseling and educating patients about their ocular health and vision. For example, based on the patient’s medical and family history and my examination of their eyes, I discuss with them eye diseases they have a greater than average risk of developing and what they can do to lessen their risk. For instance, in the case of a family history of glaucoma, I would discuss the importance of a patient with hypertension continuing to work with their family doctor to lower their high blood pressure.

Minimal Time Commitment toEducate

I would estimate that patient education lasts approximately two to three minutes leading up to pre-testing with a staff member (in the reception area), another several minutes with staff as they proceed through the testing, and for 10 minutes or more with me as the doctor in the exam room. The result is that approximately 15 minutes of the average 30-minute exam is spent on educating the patient.

Create Educational Sectionon Web Site
Offering educational information on your web site is easier than you think.Some ofthematerial I have on my site comes from ascript I put together, and some was outsourced to a third party who had pre-prepared educational information to load into a web site. I wanted my website to look very professional, so Ispent about $400for thateducational material to be properly installed. The pay-offs of that minimal investment have been huge in terms of patient impression and preparedness, and patient cooperation with maintaining regular exams and purchasing products to enhance their lifestyles. I have profited many times over on that initial investment of several hundred dollars.

Encourage Patient Questions
I think the most important way to encourage dialogue with patients is to ask them open-ended questions when gathering data (by both staff and doctor), as well as being sure toask them if they have any questions thus far at several points during the exam, especially at the very end: “Mrs. Jones, is there anything we have gone over during the exam that you would like to hear again or have explained further?”

This gives them a way to insert a question before they forget or the context is no longer relevant to what you are doing in the exam process. My staff and I often pleasantly notice that when we ask if a patient hasany further questions, the patient begins to respond “No…..but I was wondering…..,”whichshows thatthere was some initial reluctance to ask us a question, but since we prompted them, they now feel comfortable.

Resources for Consumer Education Information

American Optometric Association
The AOA produces consumer education materials, including brochures and web-based information sites specific to InfantSEE, dry eye, conjunctivitis and color deficiency.

The Vision Council
The Vision Council provides consumer education including a guide to ophthalmic lenses, warning signs of vision loss, and how to match frames to your facial type.

National Eye Institute, National Institute of Health
The NIHproduces a Healthy Eye Toolkit, E-cards and facts sheets on eye health. They also have materials to promote Healthy Vision Month.

The Contact Lens Council
The Contact Lens Council,
sponsored by the Contact Lens Institute, provides consumer information on contact lens wear and lens care.

Related ROB Articles
Create a PracticeCapable of Life-ChangingTransformations
Know Your Patient’s FORDstoLearn What Motivates Patient Purchases
Tell Patients Compelling StoriestoIllustrate Your Recommendations

Gina M. Wesley, OD, MS, FAAO, is theowner of Complete Eye Care of Medina in Medina, Minn. To contact her: drwesley@cecofmedina.com

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.