Letters to the editor: Presbyopia patients, online appointing

Like something we published? Hate something we published? Have a suggestion? We want to hear from you! Send your comments to gbailey@advanstar.com. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.

Picking your presbyopia patients

I recently read Dr. Ernie Bowling’s editorial in the February issue (“Embracing new contact lens technology”). Many presbyopes have significant amount of astigmatism (I'm one of them) and can't get satisfactory vision from multifocal contact lenses. The cylindrical custom lenses that are made for presbyopia are costly enough to scare some of my wealthier patients off. I do offer and fit the multifocal lenses with success, but you have to pick the right patients.

I always enjoy the practicality of your magazine.

Randall Hoerth, OD

Albertville, AL

Another online appointing option

I wanted to respond to the article in the e-newsletter concerning online appointment scheduling (“Online appointment scheduling to surge: will you offer it?” January 28). I know this was not an article to promote one company over another, but you’d mentioned several, and CooperVision WebSystem3 was not among them. As we are one of the top three providers of this service, I thought I would provide some details on the benefits offered to ECPs who utilize this and other services.

With our research supporting the needs of an ECP, here is what we see are the four major concerns of ECPs:

1.     Patient acquisition

2.     Patient retention

3.     Cost of goods

4.     Keeping sales in-house

With our value-added portfolio EyeCare Prime (of which WebSystem3 is an offering within), we can address all of these. WebSystem3 allows a practice to automatically send appointment confirmations and recall letters, schedule initial appointments, and send surveys to patients to find out how their experience was. A practice also has an option to have a dedicated marketing consultant post on their social media pages for them with relevant content along with creating an e-mail and newsletter campaign quarterly.

Just to expand, CooperVision can now address all of these needs via our EyeCare Prime services. EyeCare Prime offers different services that can be tailored and customized to meet the needs of each ECP. With only 42 percent of referrals coming from word of mouth, EyeCare Prime has been developed to help bridge the gap of gaining new patients. One service offered will help acquire patients by making the practice’s current website mobile friendly, claiming directory listings found on search engines, and offering a dedicated marketing consultant to post on social media content, create a quarterly e-mail and newsletter campaign, monitor the practice’s online reviews, and help manage a practice’s online reputation.

CooperVision is continuously evaluating ways to improve and add to the services we currently have.

Dan Roth

Senior director, marketing

CooperVision