Practice Metrics

How Many ECPs Recommend AR Lenses Most of the Time?

Most eyecare professionals, including independent optometrists, along with ophthalmologists and optician-owned practices, most often guide patients to anti-reflective lenses for their eyeglasses, according to The Vision Council’s November 2012 Eye Care Professional Report. Some 75 percent of ECPs recommend AR lenses to at least 81 percent of their patients. Just under 43 percent of ECPs say they recommend that all of their patients purchase AR coated lenses. Less than 2 percent of ECPs say they recommend AR coating to 20 percent or fewer patients. The remaining 21 percent of practices say they recommend AR lenses to between 21 percent and 80 percent of patients. Chains/superstores and large independents are more likely to recommend AR to all patients than small practices with one location. ECPs in the Southeast and Mountain Pacific region were more likely than ECPs in other regions of the US to recommend AR lenses to all of their patients.

We can do better. Consider these five reasons to prescribe AR:

1. We would not prescribe a pair of lenses for ourselves or for any family member without AR. Why would we treat patients differently?

2. Every lens in the phoropter is an AR lens. If you want patients to see like they did in the exam room, you must prescribe AR.

3. If you prescribe high index lenses, you must prescribe AR.

4. AR helps patients to have at least 10 percent more light coming through the lenses, and, therefore, helps night driving by reducing glare and increasing what can be seen.

5. The big box stores are now 100 percent AR on their lenses. Can you imagine one of your patients talking to someone who got their lenses from one of the big box stores? Picture this conversation: “Wow, your glasses make your eyes look great. I’m frustrated that my lenses always have lots of reflections. Tell me again, where did you get your glasses?”

Here are three pearls to help you get more of your patients into AR.

1. Create lens packages with AR. Offer the package to your patients in a value presentation.

2. Demonstrate AR. The strongest presentation you can make to a patient is to let them experience the difference.

3. Use office signage to explain to patients why they need AR. Focus on the pain patients experience without AR in your messaging.

Here’s your action plan for this week.

1. Measure to know your current AR percentage. Review the Rx Analysis Report from your spectacle labs to find your historical percentage.

2. Set a goal to increase the percentage over the next three months.

3. Create a plan that includes office signage, scripts for the exam room, as well as scripts and demonstrations for the optical.

4. Create lens packages with AR.

5. Review your practice payment plans making sure it is easy for patients to pay (add CareCredit and PayPal in addition to credit cards).

Improving the vision of patients is what we do. Adding AR to lenses definitely improves the vision of our patients. Let’s make sure we handle this important area of the lens prescription.

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.