Contact Lenses

Daily Replacement CLs: Promote the Benefits to Patients

By April L. Jasper, OD, FAAO

SYNOPSIS

Daily replacement contact lenses are a comfortable and healthy option that patients enjoy wearing. Increase your CL fits by educating all patients on the benefits of this modality.

ACTION PLAN

COMMUNICATE ON VARIOUS PLATFORMS. Post information about daily replacement contact lenses on your website and mention it in recorded on-hold phone messaging.
HAVE CONVERSATION IN EXAM ROOM. Let patients know your own experience, and that of your staff, with the newest daily replacement contact lenses.
BEAT THE PRICE BARRIER. If patients question the price, compare new daily replacement contact lenses to any exciting new technology. Let them know they receive high quality for the cost.

Patients in daily replacement contact lenses benefit from a fresh contact lens every day—each new lens is free of deposits, such as allergens that can build up on contact lenses over time.They can easily follow the lens wear and lens care regimen because it’s as simple as tossing the worn contacts in the trash at the end of the day. With so much to offer, it’s a shame more patients are not in these contact lenses.

In addition to their comfort, patients wearing contact lenses long-term are profitable to practices, spending more than eyeglasses-only patients and more reliably returning for eye exams. According to the Management & Business Academy, contact lens patients are significantly more valuable to a practice over the long-term because they:
• Have more frequent eye exams; every 18 months versus every 28 months for eyeglass-only patients1
• Also buy and use eyeglasses and sunwear2

The only barrier to putting more patients in daily replacement contact lenses is education.3We need to communicate the compelling benefits to our patients to let them know why daily replacement contact lenses are an excellent modality for many patients.

DAILIES TOTAL1 point-of-sale material hanging in Dr. Jasper’s office.

Communicate the Daily Replacement Message Online and Over the Phone
On our web site and in our on-hold messaging, we have information regarding daily replacement contact lenses. We also ask our patients when they’re scheduling their appointment if they’re coming in for eyeglasses and contact lenses and then mention how much success we’re having with patients in daily replacement contact lenses. We have posters in the contact lens room for the lenses we strive to fit most, as well as POP at the front desk explaining the benefits of the newest technology in daily replacement contact lenses. We have a supply of daily replacement lenses inventory conspicuously placed behind our front desk so patients see that we fit them, sell them and stock them.

Have Conversation in Exam Room
My associate and I truly believe that daily replacement contact lenses are the best for every patient—and we let them know it. We ask every patient about their wearing habits with their current lenses. We also ask them if there is anything about their current contact lens-wearing experience they wish were different or better. When they tell us they’re over-wearing their lenses or give us something they would like to have improved, it gives us an opportunity to explain the benefits of daily replacement wear.

I think everyone needs to remember that the conversation with patients has to begin in your heart. If you believe in the daily replacement modality and technology, it’s an easy conversation to have. It gets much easier after the 10th time, and eventually you’ll become a practice that fits the majority of new and return patients in this modality. Remember, patients like stories. Tell them about how a new lens, like DAILIES TOTAL1 contact lenses, has changed your life or other patients’ lives by making everyday contact lens wear comfortable.
Explain Why Not All Daily Replacement Contact Lens Brands Are Equal
I remind my patients that the reason they come to me for their eye exam and keep coming back is because I am always eager to introduce them to the latest in technology. I explain why a lens, like DAILIES TOTAL1 contact lenses, will improve their contact lens experience—using any comfort issues they mentioned—and then I tell them I cannot wait for them to try on these new contact lenses.

Beat the Price Barrier
If a patient asks me how much the lenses cost, I tell them a per-day price, such as, “These lenses are around $2 a day, about the price of some bottles of water.” Then I will say something like, “You are here paying me to provide you with the best contact lenses for a lifetime of excellent vision. Because of this, I am prescribing daily replacement contact lenses.” If their question is, “Are they more expensive?” I answer with an attitude of confidence and excitement: “Absolutely. New technology always is, just like your new smartphone or HDTV.”

Regularly Remind Patients of Daily Replacement Contact Lens Availability
We have the capability and option to send reminders through e-mail and text messaging via Demandforce, along with mailing postcards and sending automated phone calls. Use a multi-pronged approach to let patients know that you believe in daily replacement contact lenses, and have the latest in daily replacement contact lens technology available in your office.

References: 1. Monitoring Patient Recall. Management & Business Academy. Dec. 2013. 2. Sun Sense: Warming trends continue for sunglass sales. 2008 SunwearMarketplace study based on data collected from structured e-mail interviews with 190 independent optical retailers. 20/20 Magazine, January 2009, http://www.2020mag.com/story/1198. 3. Best Practices of Contact Lens Management, 2013 Edition. Management & Business Academy.

Sun Sense: Warming trends continue for sunglass sales. 2008 SunwearMarketplace study based on data collected from structured email interviews with 190 independent optical retailers. 20/20 Magazine, January 2009.

See product instructions for complete wear, care, and safety information.

© 2014 Novartis 6/14 DAL14221AR

April Jasper, OD, FAAO, is the owner of Advanced Eyecare Specialists in West Palm Beach, Fla. To reach her: dr.jasper@distinctivestrategies.com.

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