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Issue: June 2003
ByBob Kronemyer
June 01, 2003
5 min read
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VCA’s “Check Yearly” campaign creatively promotes regular vision exams

Issue: June 2003
ByBob Kronemyer
Check Yearly [logo]

RACINE, Wisc. — Many practices across the country have seen an increase in patient load, thanks, in part, to the “Check Yearly. See Clearly.” patient educational campaign from the Vision Council of America.

“It really makes sense and should be embraced,” said John E. Warren, OD, in private practice here. “Receiving annual eye care is a good thing from an ocular health plan point. The campaign has also been good for my office because of the inexpensive marketing materials. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you can easily adapt the materials to your office.”

The program, which promotes regular eye exams, started in the fall of 2001. Some of the core campaign materials are free, such as insert cards and window decals. But most of the 30-plus items are available at or below cost, ranging from brochures to floor mats to wall clocks. Balloons and pencils are also part of the mix.

Preappointments

Dr. Warren told Primary Care Optometry News that since implementing the program last June, his office has switched to preappointing all patients. “The patient now frequently has his or her next appointment booked before he or she even leaves the exam room,” he said. “Although dentists have been preappointing for years, I frankly thought I’d have a lot of resistance to preappointing 1 year out. But there have been very few objections.”

When families leave the office, they receive a pocket folder with three or four different program brochures targeted to different groups (baby boomers, women, seniors, children), along with their statement and an appreciative letter. Patients also receive appointment confirmation by e-mail and reminders by postcard, telephone and e-mail.

“I’ve seen about a 7% increase in gross charges,” said Dr. Warren, who spoke on the campaign at VCA’s annual meeting. “The only vision plan I’m part of is Vision Service Plan, which provides benefits for annual exams. But you shouldn’t let an insurance plan dictate how often a patient returns. It’s important that patients learn the value of routine eye exams. I can also detect and treat vision problems and other eye disorders more rapidly.”

Apart from the floor mat, which is gray, all the promotional materials “are black, white and yellow, so they really stand out,” Dr. Warren said. Hence, they are unlikely to get lost in the shuffle of other vendor promotions.

“The campaign doesn’t promote a product like a contact lens or eyeglass lens,” he said.

The “Check Yearly. See Clearly.” logo also appears on Dr. Warren’s Web site, which has a link to the VCA campaign Web site. He is also preparing a sandwich board outside his office that will feature the logo.

Targeting children

According to Dr. Warren, the program is “a perfect tie-in” to the American Optometric Association’s “Healthy Eyes. Healthy People.” 3-year initiative. Dr. Warren, who is the current president of the Wisconsin Optometric Association, also noted that the program reinforces his state’s mandate that children entering school for the first time now receive information on the importance of an early eye exam. “And for children who are abused, we may be the first health care provider they see to detect that,” Dr. Warren said.

“I think young people need it the most,” said Linh T. Hoang-Braley, OD, in private practice in Arlington, Va. “Annual checkups are important because the child’s vision changes so rapidly, starting as early as 5 years old. You need to work closely with parents.”

Learning pamphlets and maze games for younger patients are available in Dr. Hoang-Braley’s waiting room, while pencils and reminder stickers are handed out after exams. “We’ve also placed an ad in one of the Money Mailers (direct mail), which includes the campaign logo,” she said.

Dr. Hoang-Braley and her staff let patients know that they will receive a recall card in about 1 year from their last exam. “It’s important that children get used to the idea of coming back every year,” she said.

In addition, with the growing number of patients who now have vision plans that cover yearly exams, “people are realizing that they should come back every year,” she added.

For plans that cover an eye exam only every other year, the office stresses the importance of annual checkups for contact-lens wearers and patients with fluctuating vision — regardless of insurance status. “Many of my patients who have insurance plans that only cover an eye exam once every 2 years still come in every year,” Dr. Hoang-Braley said.

Gaining credibility

Dr. Hoang-Braley believes that the program gains credibility in the eyes of the public as a growing number of independent optometrists implement it. “It looks much better if a lot of us are involved vs. only a few practices doing it by themselves,” she said.

Furthermore, the campaign will not be perceived as professional competitiveness if there is widespread acceptance and visibility.

As for doctors who may be reluctant to get involved because they already have a full patient load, “they still need to emphasize eye care, because that is their job and profession,” Dr. Hoang-Braley said.

For example, “children now are acquiring diabetes and different eye diseases earlier in life,” she said. Hiring an associate to handle the overflow is an option.

Richard D. Creed, OD, of Muskogee, Okla., likens the campaign to the American Dental Association’s promotion of 6-month checkups and prevention. “Our message is also preventive,” Dr. Creed said. “But in my opinion, vision is more important than any other central organ that we have.”

Since implementing the campaign last October, his office has seen a 20% increase in the number of eye exams. “In my 17 years of practice, I never had patients ask me when they should come back, but now many ask me how often they should have an eye exam,” Dr. Creed said.

He acknowledged, though, that this can be a problem for patients with insurance plans that do not cover yearly exams. However, “sometimes a medical plan will pick up a medical problem with the eye,” Dr. Creed said.

Eye-catching material

In addition to using many of the promotional materials, Dr. Creed’s office created a billboard. “Different patients pick up on different parts of the campaign,” Dr. Creed said. “Some patients notice the ‘Check Yearly’ on the door. Others notice on the floor mat, some pick up the pamphlets and some notice the wall clock.”

Dr. Creed observed that the eye care profession as a whole has been slow to embrace regular exams. “Optometrists are more cost-conscious and worry about the patient’s pocketbook to the detriment of prevention. But prevention actually saves the patient money by detecting problems early,” he said.

Dr. Creed also noted a general resistance to change. “So you must have a strong leader in the office,” he said. “The doctor has to want to implement change. Then, the staff needs to support the doctor. If the top guy doesn’t want to change, it’s not going to happen. Follow-up is also important with a campaign like this.”

“Those who are resistant to change will probably be left behind,” Dr. Warren added. Acceptance of the program will likely increase as more success stories are shared among colleagues.

For Your Information:
  • John E. Warren, OD, can be reached at Warren Eye Care, 4060 N. Main St., Ste. 106, Racine WI 53402; (262) 752-2020; fax: (262) 752-2030; e-mail: jwarrenod@tds.net. Dr. Warren has presented information on the “CheckYearly. See Clearly.” program on behalf of the VCA.
  • Linh T. Hoang-Braley, OD, can be reached at 2805 Columbia Pike, Suite B, Arlington, VA 22204; (703) 486-2620; fax: (703) 486-0208/(703) 271-0779; e-mail: drlinh@hotmail.com.
  • Richard D. Creed, OD, can be reached at 3705 W. Broadway St., Muskogee, OK 74401-2142; (918) 687-7530; fax (918) 687-8804; e-mail: drrcreed@swbell.net.