By Cathy Ciccolella
Senior Editor

LAS VEGAS--The latest eyecare technology can make an optometric practice run more smoothly, and even increase practice revenues, according to a panel of private-practice optometrists who passed on tips to their fellow ODs at a seminar held during International Vision Expo West here.

Sponsored by Eyefinity, the seminar was moderated by Andrew Karp, group editor, lenses and technology, for Jobson Optical Group.

In kicking off the discussion, Jim Caster, Eyefinity’s vice president of marketing, noted that today’s patients are “time-compressed,” so they seek convenience as well as quality and value in their eyecare and eyewear-buying experiences. Panel members agreed that current electronic technology can go a long way toward providing an enhanced experience for both the patient and the practitioner.

At the Vision Expo West ‘Tricks of the Trade’ panel, sponsored by Eyefinity (l to r): James Winnick, OD; Mason Smith, OD; James Kirchner, OD; Robert Davis, OD; Eyefinity’s Jim Caster; and moderator Andrew Karp of Jobson Optical Group.

Said Mason Smith, OD, a solo practitioner in South Carolina who is vice president of professional relations for Eyefinity, “Everybody’s patients are time- compressed, and technology offers a way to collect data from them quickly and efficiently.” Added Smith, “I couldn’t live without being a totally electronic office.”

Noted Robert Davis, OD, of The Eyecare Center in Pembroke Pines, Fla., “In this high-tech world, we need high-tech ways of communicating with patients. And that technology has to start in the waiting room, giving the patient a ‘wow’ experience as soon as he or she comes into the office.”

Several ODs on the panel made the point that relying on digital technology for information-gathering frees up the eyecare professional to work more closely with the patient. “Using today’s technology helps the OD move from information-gatherer to have quality time to form a relationship with the patient,” said James Winnick, OD, of Livermore Optometry Group in Livermore, Calif.

Agreed James Kirchner, OD, whose four-office practice, EyeCare Specialties in Lincoln, Neb., includes 10 optometrists, “It really makes sense for doctors to delegate the information gathering to their staffs. With the latest technology and a well-trained staff, we can spend more time with the patient in the exam room.”

Kirchner added, “In the end, patients are looking to the doctor for education and to help inform them on eyewear products. Today’s patients are quite knowledgeable, but they come into our office and want more.”

Smith also stressed the need for an informed and well-trained optometric staff. “During the course of the exam, staff members need to explain what the technology they’re using is, and exactly what they’re doing with it,” he told the Vision Expo West audience.

One time-saving approach for the OD is to use a scribe in the exam room to transcribe the ECPs comments and procedures, several panel members noted.

Panelists disagreed on whether the ECP should recommend specific lenses and/or eyewear by brand, or pass that responsibility onto the optical dispensers. Said Davis, “I think it’s important for the doctor to mention brands in the exam room. Only 40 percent of eyewear is purchased in the OD’s office, because patients don’t know the difference between progressive lens ‘X’ and progressive lens ‘Y’. We should discuss the benefits of specific brands.”

Agreed Kirchner, “It’s so important to talk about these things; patients expects the doctor to tell them what’s right for them.”

Winnick, on the other hand, said, “It’s very subtle. I don’t recommend brands, but instead a family of lenses. And I always explain why a premium lens is worth the price.”

And Smith said, “I make it a policy to repeat that kind of information to patients three times to make sure they understand it. And I make recommendations about lenses or lens coatings that I think would be helpful for them, but don’t recommend specific brands.

Several ODs on the panel said they use lifestyle questionnaires to help determine the eyewear that’s best for their patients. Winnick also noted the importance of asking about computer usage to see if specialized computer lenses would be helpful for particular patients.

And Davis said, “I know many doctors who write separate prescriptions for each type of eyeglasses they recommend. That’s another way to reinforce what you’re saying to the patient, who may walk out of the exam room with three different prescriptions.”