Contact Lenses

An Essential Tool We Use to Keep Patients and Reorders in the Practice

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ADDED CONVENIENCE WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

I considered how I could make it more convenient for patients to purchase contact lenses from our practice when I joined the pilot program for MARLO from Alcon back in 2019. As a private practice owner, I was feeling the struggle of keeping patients and reorders in my practice. Patients wanted to buy contact lenses from us, but as a consumer, I understood that they might think of it on a Saturday night or after hours when the office was closed. Everyone has busy lives, and we don’t have time to wait until Monday morning to call and cross it off the to-do list. I felt like we were losing business because of the convenience factors.

MARLO offered an off-the-shelf/turnkey solution to meet my patient and practice needs. It’s been really cool to see how MARLO has grown, modified and changed. Alcon listened to our feedback and continues to make it a good experience.

PATIENTS SEE COMMUNICATION AS AN EXTENSION OF THE OFFICE

It’s a seamless experience for patients to order contact lenses through MARLO, and it’s been well received by them too. It’s been a really awesome fit. I appreciate all the other ways patients can benefit and interact with MARLO, such as how it automatically pulls in valid rebates and sends patients reminders for their exams or to order contact lenses. You can also customize MARLO to feel like a real extension of the practice, adding different colors and branding based on your membership level.

One of the latest features enables our doctors to include select Alcon over-the-counter products, such as eye drops and contact lens solutions, as part of a patient’s contact lens order. Our practice can either add these products directly to the order or send a link to the patient, allowing them to add the items themselves when placing their order through the App or patient portal. We can push out a message to patients to let them know the products are available in their patient portal or App, and patients will also see our recommendations when they log into their MARLO account. If I give a sample or coupon or write the recommendation down, it can still get lost. I still do that sometimes, but it’s nice to have a central location where they can see it and purchase it right there.

MARLO helps us be confident that patients are getting exactly what we want them to have. It eliminates any questions that they may have when they get to the store. I don’t want them standing in the aisle with decision fatigue because they can’t remember the products that I recommended to them during their appointment. MARLO is a one-stop shop where they can get their contact lenses and over-the-counter products.

It’s a nice added strategy that has the practice working smarter, not harder. Patients are getting exactly what I recommend with zero indecisiveness. We can also support a more successful practice when patients add these products to their orders.

STREAMLINED SYSTEM FOR STAFF

MARLO offers a streamlined location where our staff can easily manage orders, look at outstanding tasks, contact patients and check in on supplies. It gives a really good patient experience, and makes it really easy to save my staff time so they can focus on what matters most—patient care.

ONLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK

I’ve never had any patients mention that they don’t like the benefits that MARLO brings to our practice and its patients. While there may be a learning curve for some of our older patients who aren’t as technologically savvy, even they get on board and love it. It’s a game changer, and it makes ordering and communication easy and seamless.

Read more stories about MARLO.

Jessilin Quint, OD, is the owner of Smart Eye Care with three locations and a Dry Eye Center in Augusta, Bangor and Farmingdale, Maine. To contact her: quint.jessilin@gmail.com

*Paid Alcon Consultant

**Alcon over-the-counter products through MARLO can only be added to an order that contains contact lenses.