Focus on patient trust, safety to thrive during pandemic
The doctor-patient relationship remains a priority as optometric practices find new ways of providing care and conducting business in this second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CooperVision recently hosted a webinar involving doctors who were recognized through the company’s Best Practices Program, which celebrates the innovative ways that optometric practices deliver exceptional patient care and advance the profession.
Among a multitude of topics, the participants discussed changes they implemented in their practices during the pandemic and those that they plan to continue.
“One of the reasons we’re so successful is we always make our patients feel well cared for,” Pamela Lowe, OD, of Professional Eye Care Center, Niles, Ill., said during the webinar. “There’s nothing better than a pandemic to do that for your patients – air filters, disinfecting frames, everything. What really made them feel cared for was our pivot to telehealth, especially for our seniors who were worried to go out before vaccines.”
Lowe said her practice plans to retain the disinfecting practices and telehealth into the future.
“We really feared more than we normally do for our glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration patients,” she said. “Having telehealth was really helpful.”
“Patients were so understanding, we had them waiting in their car and texting in early phases,” Ann Voss, OD, of Bellaire Family Eye Care, Bellaire, Texas, said. “People are more patient because they understand you’re doing everything you can to serve them. There’s an attitude of ‘we’re all in this together,’ and there’s gratitude.”
Voss said her business has grown 15% to 20% over 2019.
Alexandra Gelt, OD, of Clearvue Vision Center, Kent, Wash., said she and her colleagues try to do everything from the patient’s point of view.
“We implemented signage to let staff and patients know when the rooms have been sanitized,” she said. “That helps improve our flow.”
Her practice also administers temperature checks and COVID symptom questionnaires.
“We’ve implemented ways to keep everybody safe,” she said. “Our staff feels if we have overcome the hurdle of COVID, anything is possible.”
Several of the doctors said issues surrounding mask mandates and vaccination have caused confusion among staff and patients.
“Things have been changing so quickly,” Bryan Heitmeyer, OD, of Clearvue Vision Center, Kent, Wash., said. “We try to be proactive with staff, letting them know what’s going on, answering any concerns. Guidance has chanced locally with CDC. There’s been confusion from patients about wearing masks.”
Nicolette Scott, OD, of Broad View Eye Center, Broadview Heights, Ohio, added, “Early on we decided we wanted to be very transparent. We have 20 employees. We did lots of Zooms and not just communicated the decisions we were making, but why and our thought process and all the research we had done.”
Voss said the need for communication with staff is at a high level.
“We’re always trying to advocate for them, but they don’t know that unless you say it,” she said. “With the vaccination challenge, I spoke with each staff member to talk about their concerns. Keeping a trusted relationship with the staff even though they may think and feel different than I do has been important. That’s been tricky.”
Several of the panelists said many of the pandemic-related changes in the way they conduct business turned out to benefit the practice.
Online contact lens and vitamin sales and subscriptions have increased in Gelt’s office.
“Patients are wanting more convenience and to reduce the number of times they come into the office,” she said. “They also really like the curbside pick-up.”
Adam Ramsey, OD, of Socialite Vision, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., implemented dispensing appointments.
“Our second pair sales went up tremendously,” he said.
In addition, “The staff loved it because it improved the flow, and they could plan their day. They knew the patient was walking in the door and they were ready for them. No more, ‘Where’s the dispensing tray?’”
Ramsey said patients who want to come in for frame styling with outside prescriptions are scheduled on days that are not as busy.
“Those things are staying because I saw it was good for the bottom line,” he said.
Michael Koditek, OD, of Carbon Valley Eye Care, Frederick, Colo., said his practice is also making dispensing appointments.
“Everything is better for it,” he said. “Make decisions that make sense for you and your staff, and that magically works out best for the patients.”
Scott said after agonizing for years over having weekend and evening hours, when her office reopened, “we realized the evenings and Saturdays were not prime hours anymore because everyone was at home.”
She said they cut out the evening and weekend hours.
“When we started to reopen, we found it wasn’t an issue,” Scott said. “Patients were still finding time to come in. The staff was overjoyed not to work past 6 p.m. and have Saturdays off and be with their families. That’s been a win-win for everybody.”
Beth Knighton, OD, FAAO, of Bright Eyes Family Vision Care, Tampa, Fla., said before the pandemic, patients often came in with a crowd – parents, grandparents, etc.
“We had to limit who was coming into the office with the patients but offered to do video chat calls to discuss the results with any other family members who want to know what’s going on,” she said.
Prior to the pandemic, her practice offered remote vision therapy sessions for patients who lived far away.
“Then when we were in lockdown, most of our patients transferred to remote therapy while everyone was home, Knighton said. “They were thrilled to continue to make progress. Our staff ramped up what they were already doing. Now that we’re more back to normal, the option to do remote sessions due to vacation or scheduling issues allows a lot of flexibility and allows them to stay on schedule and make progress.”
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