Vision Council report shows eye exams, revenue recovered in 2021
Eye exams and practice revenue were down at the beginning of last year but rebounded, according to the Vision Council’s 2021 Eyecare Provider Insights Report.
This survey on eye exams, telehealth services and vaccination drew responses from 3,562 eye care providers, according to a press release from the council.
Although eye exam counts were lower than what is typically expected in the first quarter, these exams, along with practice revenue, increased to usual levels during the rest of 2021.
Compared with pre-pandemic months, capture rates were either normal or improved, as reported by more than 70% of respondents.
In terms of economic outlook in their practices, more than 45% of owners were certain that business conditions would improve in the coming months.
Once vaccines became widely accessible, telehealth services dropped from one in three to one in four practices offering this option in the first quarter.
Staffing issues were also recorded in the ECP Insights Report. Due to a lack of candidates applying for open job opportunities, 20% of owners said they had fewer staff compared with normal months.
The last takeaway from the report highlighted high vaccination rates of eye care professionals: More than 85% of ECPs who responded to the survey were vaccinated compared with 74% of U.S. adults at the end of April.
“The results from our 2021 eye care provider surveys reflect what we have also seen in our consumer and transaction data — eye care practice business rebounded and largely got back to business as usual,” Alysse Henkel, director of research data and analytics at the Vision Council, stated in the press release.
The council aims to redesign and refresh its market research program as part of its strategic plan for 2022, according to the release.