The contact lens follow-up factor: A conversation with Drs Brianna Rhue and Diana Canto-Sims – Part 2

Diana Canto-Sims, OD, and Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO, FSLS, continue their discussion on implementing a contact lens management system into optometric practices.

Watch part 1 here.

To read Canto-Sims' complementary article that details contact lens management options, click here.

Value of contact lens patients

Contact lens patients are described by Rhue as the most valuable patients for a practice, as they form the foundation of dry eye practice and IPL treatments, build myopia management practices, and often develop into patients with glaucoma due to their myopic condition.

Financial implications

Rhue and Canto-Sims emphasize the importance of handling prescriptions carefully. While legally required to provide prescriptions, Rhue compares each printed prescription to giving patients a $300 gift card to spend elsewhere.

The financial impact of not implementing a proper contact lens management system is significant - approximately $200,000 per doctor per year. The investment required for implementing such a system is relatively modest, described as less than $11 per day.

Key benefits of implementing a robust system

Rhue and Canto-Sims outlined several crucial benefits:

1. Patient retention and loyalty: It's 5 times harder to acquire new patients than to retain existing ones who already know and trust you.
2. Revenue and health benefits include increased revenue through reorders, improved patient adherence, better eye health through proper lens usage, and prevention of contact lens overwear.
3. Operational efficiency includes reduced staff workload, increased efficiency, and no need for additional staff hiring for follow-ups.
4. Competitive advantage: Online retailers already use automated systems, making it essential for optometry practices to implement similar solutions to remain competitive.
5. Enhanced patient experience: Creating a system that builds trust makes patients loyal to the practice, ensuring they wouldn't consider going elsewhere for their eye care needs. When patients like and trust their provider, they tend to remain patients for years.

Final insights

Rhue and Canto-Sims state that the implementation of such systems puts optometrists in control while simultaneously giving patients the control they desire, creating a win-win situation for all parties involved. The system is designed to connect practices with their patients, maintaining the crucial doctor-patient relationship.