close up on contacts
Talking Points
by Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC
When it comes to successfully dispensings contact lenses, it's simply a matter of knowing your talking points and presenting them consistently.
UV PROTECTION
For existing contact lens patients who are wearing non-UV lenses, explain that UV radiation can cause long-term damage to eyes just as it can to skin. Tell them that there are products available that block between 90 and 100 percent of UV radiation, acting as sunscreen for their eyes.
"Even for people who appear to be satisfied with their current contacts, educating them about this value-added feature helps promote patient trust and appreciation," says Stephen M. Cohen, OD, of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Prescribe UV-blocking contact lenses for kids when available. The best UV protection is a hat with a brim, sunglasses, and contacts.
| V.I.Q. - Very important question |
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| Would you like a back-up pair of contact lenses for your eyewear? When patients are seeing you for contact lenses, you commonly ask them if they'd like back-up eyewear for their contact lenses. But how many times have you asked patients who are seeing you for eyewear if they'd like a back-up pair of contact lenses for their eyewear? The time to make that question a habit is now. Ask if they've ever worn contacts: "I'm amazed by how many people have tried contact lenses and given up because of discomfort or presbyopia," says Michael Slusky, OD, of Chicagoland Vision in Chicago, Ill. "It's important for me not to plant the seed that glasses are a negative, but rather that contact lenses are a positive accessory to their lifestyle." Ask if there are times when they wished they didn't have eyewear on their face. For occasional-use patients, prescribe daily disposables for travel, social settings, and athletics. Comfort features like additional moisture and minimal adaptation allow occasional wearers to easily return to contact lenses. "Glasses are more than vision-correcting devices, they're a fashion accessory that expresses personality," Slusky affirms. "Our patients should not have to give up their accessories. They should have the freedom to choose which accessory [contact lenses or eyewear] they want to wear." |
LIFE BEYOND THE CHAIR
Use lifestyle questions to prescribe contact lenses most effectively. Ask, "How many hours a day do you use a computer?" Those online three or more hours get a questionnaire on computer use, detailing symptoms, working distance, and lighting.
"If they're wearing or desire contact lenses, I address potential dry eye symptoms," says Jeffrey Anshel, OD, of Poinsettia Vision Center in Carlsbad, Calif. "I recommend lenses that will withstand a dry office environment and poor blinking. Then we discuss ergonomic factors."
With a golfing patient ask, "How many golf clubs does it take to play the game?" For a fashionista ask, "How many pairs of shoes do you have?" Patients understand that one solution won't cover all situations.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Start by asking patients if their contact lenses are comfortable at the end of the day.
"More often than not, I get the answer, ‘My contacts do tend to feel less comfortable at the end of the day,’" says Cheri Vincent Riemer, OD, of Vision Care Associates, PC, in East Lansing, Mich.
Then open the new technology discussion. "I'd like to tell you about some new contact lens designs and materials that may improve the quality of your contact wear," is how Riemer words it. This leads to a brief conversation on daily work demands, what patients do in their spare time, allergies, and eye health.
"This is an opportunity to see what specific needs they have for other modalities; for example, scuba diving, in which one-day lenses may be practical," says Riemer. This is also a time to address key patient needs in a creative way.
| Wearing Compliance |
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| Patients tell doctors what doctors want to hear: Yes, they clean their lenses every night. No, they don't keep their two-week disposable contact lenses after two weeks. Yes, they use only the recommended care solutions. No, they don't share their contact lenses with others. But what they tell a doctor's staff may be different than what they tell a doctor. So get your staff talking with patients and taking notes as to patient wearing habits. Patients, especially youngsters, are often less intimidated by staff members. Staff members also may be able to better discuss contact lens wearing problems and solutions with patients. Besides being better public relations, this helps saves chair time. |
ANNUAL DISPENSING
Don't wait until patients are successfully fitted with their final set of lenses before mentioning that they can purchase a year's supply of lenses up-front, saving time and money.
Better yet, make the offer of a year's supply of contact lenses not only verbal, but also in writing, by giving the patient a brochure that outlines the practice's yearly lenses supply program.
Then, on the final dispense, offer a contract for a year's supply of lenses. Getting the money up-front is more lucrative for the practice, more convenient for the patient, and is an easier way of doing business for everyone.
You can even offer to ship the patient their contact lenses for free as an added bonus for purchasing a year's supply. EB
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