Show Patients Why Our Services Are Worth It

Communicate the Importance of Comprehensive Eyecare

Demonstrate a Different Level of Care

Explain Why It’s Important

Lisa Shin, OD, says many patients are unaware of why annual comprehensive exams are valuable. Dr. Shin says she recently read an article online about a man complaining that he found eye exams inconvenient and time consuming. Stories like that, she says, show that the public needs to be educated about what ODs can provide.

“We all need to do a much better job at communicating what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, why it’s important, and why our services are worth the time, commute and money,” she says.

Dr. Shin has a blog that reinforces to her community the services she provides. She shares cases on the blog, and includes photos of common eye diseases like Glaucoma. “By creating this blog, people immediately see I do comprehensive eyecare. it’s not just about eyeglasses and refraction, but about comprehensive eyecare,” she notes.

In addition, Dr. Shin says her staff has been trained to emphasize the idea of comprehensive eyecare by explaining every element of the exam to patients, including why the test is being done and what the findings will indicate.

Dr. Shin continues that education when patients are in the exam room, pointing out to patients everything she is learning about their eye health and vision.

Showing patients a higher level of care than they have previously experienced builds trust and loyalty, says Dr. Shin.

She says the highest compliment a patient can give her is saying they’ve never experienced such comprehensive care before.

“I’m hopeful because as I introduce new technologies, and am able to detect diseases much earlier than I was, people are very aware of what I do, and very appreciative,” she says.

Dr. Shin says technology such as the OCT and fundus camera have greatly expanded her diagnostic capabilities. “With my OCT,  I am able to see early damage that I wasn’t able to see before,” she says. Similarly, Dr. Shin says her fundus camera allows her to better see the progression of eye diseases, and the changes taking place in the patient’s eyes.

She tells the story of a recent patient whose retinal disease she was able to diagnose, thanks to her OCT. “I was able to more readily diagnose and give a specific diagnosis to the retinal specialist,” says Dr. Shin. “The patient was very appreciative of what I did, that he could see it, and of how important it was that we follow-up on it.”

As soon as patients visit Dr. Shin’s blog, they see photos of advanced instrumentation like the her practice’s OCT and fundus camera, and “they get an initial perception of the kind of technology we offer,” she says.

Dr. Shin also has created a hand-out, The Elements of the Eye Exam, which her practice gives to each patient visiting for a comprehensive exam. Each test is detailed in simple terms that make it easy for patients to understand why the doctor is taking the time to conduct the tests, and what the tests will tell her about the patient’s eye health and vision.

Dr. Shin’s staff backs her up in her effort to educate patients. “My staff has been trained to communicate the importance of every test, and what we’re looking for,” she says.

The important points, she emphasizes, is to treat each patient as an individual, rather than becoming reliant on data and statistics. “People still want personalized care,” she says. “It’s not just about data, but about each person as an individual, and based on their history, family history, risk factors, lifestyle and visual needs and demands, the best plan of action for them as an individual.”