The doctor finishes the exam, hands the patient the prescription, and says thank you and goodbye. What's wrong with this scenario? A lot.
The doctor has given the patient no reason to stay. And, perhaps, no reason to come back. The patient feels no connection with the dispenser down the hall and, except for what may be scribbled on the prescription pad, probably doesn't know what to look for in terms of product. 
Why? Because the doctor didn't take the time to, first, make lens recommendations, and, second, transfer his recommendations to staff members in the dispensary. Here's a step-by-step guide to correcting this lack of communications. It is based on information contained in Making Managed Care Work for You, a publication of the Optical Laboratories Association, and presents actual excerpts from it.

Pre-Testing Communications

If your office staff includes a technician who is responsible for screening and patient information gathering, this is the place to lay the groundwork for lens product communications.

Listening. During this phase, the technician is the doctor's eyes and ears and should ask open-ended questions so the patient will talk about his or her needs. This way, the technician will be able to gather and transfer this information to the doctor at the time the patient is taken into the exam room.

Analyzing. If you use a lifestyle form, the technician should explain how this information helps the doctor assess the patient's eyewear needs and should then review the completed inventory with the patient. Lens technicians should be cross-trained in lens technology so that they can at least begin a discussion of lens options based on what the patient has indicated in terms of needs. That requires careful listening and the ability to translate expression of a task that is giving the patient problems-computer work, night driving, etc.-into a product that can possibly alleviate it.

Handing over. At the conclusion of the pretest, the technician should escort the patient into the exam room and pass to the doctor pertinent points regarding the patient's lifestyle or personal preferences. If specific product options were discussed with the patient, they should be mentioned to the doctor so that he or she can reinforce whatever the technician told the patient.

During the Exam

Once the correction has been determined, the doctor should then review the lens options that best address the patient's needs. One easy way to do this is to continue using the lifestyle form.

Explanation. Regardless of how this is done, it's important to understand that the doctor's role is not to provide an in-depth explanation or demonstration-that is the role of the dispensing optician. Rather, the doctor needs to explain why a particular lens design or coating will benefit the patient. Besides providing information, it also adds a personal element to the exam that most patients haven't encountered before.

Expert-to-expert. Beyond that, it's important to develop a way to hand off the patient to the dispensing staff in such a way that the patient perceives information is being passed from one expert to another. That serves four purposes. First, it transfers the authority of the doctor to the dispensing staff. Second, it reinforces the importance of those lens options and the professionalism of the organization in the eyes of the patient.

Third, it helps keep more Rx's in the examining location, and, last but certainly not least, it provides the patient with the choice of accepting the best solution this practice can create for that individual's visual needs.

Walk the walk. How is this step executed? The most frequently recommended method is for the doctor to have used the same lifestyle form as the technician-indicating both recommendations and needs-and to then combine that with actually escorting the patient into the dispensary, introducing the patient to the dispenser, and reviewing recommendations made during the exam by relating them to the patient's needs. In many practices, however, it's the dispenser who is called into the doctor's office and then brings the patient into the dispensary to continue discussions about eyewear options.

In the Dispensing Arena

Regardless of how the hand-off is executed, information about lens options must be consistent. That is, product should be described in basically the same way throughout the operations-whether it's being explained by a technician, by the doctor, or by a dispenser.

n Scripting. That's why the OLA recommends creation of scripts that highlight benefits of particular lens products. This way, information is always communicated the same way, and the patient has it reinforced throughout the stages or his or her visit.

Timing. What if the patient arrives before the dispenser is available? In those instances, it's important for the doctor to still introduce the two, but then to invite the patient to spend a few minutes perusing the eyewear selection. While patients will understand the need to wait a reasonable time, it's imperative for the dispenser to at least meet and reinforce his or her eagerness to discuss options with the patient.

Lenses first. Once that process begins, however, it's important to tell the patient that, though he or she has had a chance to look at frames, the formal selection process must begin with lenses. Explain that many of the new lens designs work best with specific frame designs, so that's why it's imperative to discuss lenses first. The lifestyle form can help lead the discussion, and, in combination with hands-on demonstrations of specific lens materials and designs, the dispenser can offer that patient both the best product and best explanation of what the practice has to offer. That is not pushing. It's presenting. And it's not selling. It's offering options. What if the patient is not comfortable investing in what your operation considers the best option and chooses instead a bread-and-butter solution? That is the patient's perogative. And, in response, simply say, "I'll just make a note of this option on your record so, if you change your mind, you can let us know." The end result? An educated patient who is likely to tell friends and associates about his experience. EB

To order "Making Managed Care Work For You," call the OLA at 800-477-5652.