Following the successful Academy for Eye Care Excellence “Building Patient Loyalty” events in February this year, the June events changed the focus to new patients and provided some thought provoking content. For those who missed the events you can view the lectures on-line at www.cibavisionacademy.co.uk

Dimple Shah shared a compilation of information from other countries on how practitioners have succeeded in maximising the potential of their practices. This research has resulted in a range of “best practices” that can be easily implemented in most practices, such as communicating benefits of contact lenses as a function of lifestyle, enhancing the in-store visibility of contact lenses and effective diary management. Look out for more details on this in coming months. 

One of these insights is that fitting children with contact lenses can have a huge impact on your contact lens business. Pr Bruce Evans challenged the audience to think about why they fit contact lenses to adults, and then showed how these reasons are just as if not more valid for children. He addressed several issues such as compliance, safety and lifestyle benefits of lenses for children in a compelling presentation not to be missed. When you consider children wearing glasses are 35% more likely to be bullied at school than those without1, contact lenses could have a huge impact this becomes a significant area where practitioners can help change patient’s lives. You can view his presentation, as well as others from the events at www.cibavisionacademy.co.uk

The psychological impact of contact lenses for children was explored in an entertaining presentation by Wendi Sethi, who also presented some useful tips on effective patient communication. 

After lunch the day looked at an innovative way to introduce contact lenses to patients and grow your spectacle business at the same time. In a study known as “EASE” (Enhancing the Approach to Selecting Eyewear) using contact lenses to aid frame selection was shown to not only increase uptake of contact lenses but also increase the average spectacle dispensing value. In her usual entertaining way Sarah Morgan showed how this can be used in any practice to grow sales2, particularly relevant in challenging economic conditions. It also helps to overcome some of the common objections patients may have about trying lenses. More information on the EASE study can also be found on the Academy for Eye Care Excellence website.

For those more clinically minded Dr Christine Purslow  reviewed new technologies in contact lenses and how they impact clinical performance, discussing technologies .

References

1. Horwood et al 2005 Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2005;46:1177-1181.
2. Atkins NP, et al. Enhancing the approach to selecting eyewear (EASE): A multi-centre, practice-based study into the effect of applying contact lenses prior to spectacle dispensing. Contact Lens Anterior Eye (2009), doi:10.1016/ j.clae.2009.02.004