Monthly Archives: April 2022

Is it All About Index?

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Simple Answer: No

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement over a single number: higher index must be better. The simplicity is enticing. As with many technical topics, the reality is that a single performance aspect doesn’t provide enough information to judge true product quality. The idea that a lens with a certain index of refraction is a dead product or the next great thing just isn’t correct.

The More Technical Answer: Still No

If you’re into numbers, beyond index you also have to look at Abbe value, surface smoothness, processing-related deviation from target curves, required center and edge thickness (both for safety and the requirements of the frame it’s going in), lens power, your patient’s tolerance of chromatic dispersion, their eye movement patterns, the conscientiousness and equipment quality of the lab you’re using, etc. If you think it’s a lot to digest, imagine what it’s like for a patient trying to make the right decision.

Back To Simple: What’s the Wearer Say?

If you don’t want to spend the rest of your life trying to understand the minutia of every new lens that comes out, ask the people that have experience with the product. Optical Dynamics lenses have been judged by wearers and experts as some of best lenses they’ve encountered. Whether it’s a single vision or multifocal lens, people are impressed with the clarity and ease of patient adaptation. In the end, that’s really all those technical details are trying to convey anyway. Instead of using a bunch of time trying to decide if “the next great thing” is really that great, using a proven lens that wearers like can be safer and simpler.

The less simple explanation for the high praise we’ve received is that our lenses have exceptionally smooth surfaces, they precisely replicate the digital curves machined into our molds, and they are made from a lightweight, high Abbe polymer. Since the process eliminates the grinding and polishing steps normally used to make a lens, there are far fewer opportunities for machine or operator issues to cause optical problems.

A Fly In the High-Index Soup

The vexing thing about high-index lens materials is that the very people that need them most are also the most likely to experience one of their typical shortcomings. The more extreme the prescription, the more likely it is the wearer will be troubled by chromatic aberration in lower Abbe materials. For the most part, indices around the low 1.6’s are about the current limit on good Abbe performance. If you’re worried about chromatic dispersion, you can’t increase index greatly beyond where Optical Dynamics lenses are, so there’s not much thickness improvement to be gained. There can be significant cost differences though.

So if you have a moderate to low prescription where you don’t need the benefits of a high-index lens, high-index materials work very reliably. Hmmm, not the best story. It’s even less motivating when you think about the center and edge thicknesses required to produce a safe and sturdy lens for today’s rimless frames.

Don’t Just Take Our Word On It

When we say you should be using our lenses, there’s obviously a little bias involved. For a more impartial opinion, here’s what one of our customers has to say about them:

“Over the past couple years I have personally worn some of the “best” custom made progressive lenses available and the optics of the digital lenses from the Q-2100 are as good if not better. I am extremely impressed with the digital lenses the system produces and so are my patients.”

David Holliday, OD – Practicing since 1980 – Q-2100 user since 2000

Thunder Over Louisville!

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Thunder Over Louisville, the exciting annual kickoff event of the Kentucky Derby Festival is the largest annual firework show in North America and is spectacular!

Thunder starts in the afternoon with an air show, followed by the fireworks show at 9:30PM. Eight 400-ft barges launch the fireworks from both sides of the 2nd Street Bridge and from the bridge itself. Up to 750,000 people attend this amazing spectacle along the Ohio river each year.

If you ever find yourself in Louisville on the Saturday 2-weeks before Kentucky Derby Day, make plans to spend the night and experience for yourself the majesty of Thunder Over Louisville! Happy Thunder!!!!

 

Turn Your Staff into Marketers

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Rebecca Jonhson, Optometric Management

MarketingMarketing is more than communicating the value of a product and making a sale. It is about building relationships that result in trust and increased business. Creating a patient-centered experience with a feeling of community is the best marketing tool to ensure a loyal following of patients who enthusiastically refer friends and family.

Let’s take a look at some role-based marketing opportunities.

Appointment scheduler – MARKETING MESSAGE:
“You made the right decision.” The solution is to regularly schedule time with your employees to discuss the uniqueness and mission of your practice. Make sure employees can list reasons a perspective patient would receive value by choosing your practice.

Front desk receptionist – MARKETING MESSAGE:
“You had me at hello.” Keeping personal notes in the patient’s file reminds the receptionist to celebrate the patient. For instance, “Mrs. Parker, I saw that Jason got a baseball scholarship at Georgia Tech. I bet you are proud.”

Technician – MARKETING MESSAGE:
“You are in good hands.” A pre-test script increases the confidence of the technician in discussing technology.

Optician – MARKETING MESSAGE:
“You received quality and value.” Reassuring the patient of the quality and value of the products you provide fosters patient referrals, great reviews and satisfied patients. The optician should follow-up with the patient within two weeks of the purchase to ensure the patient is satisfied with his/her new eyewear.

Checkout/biller – MARKETING MESSAGE:
“You are welcome back.” The checkout experience should be compared with the grand finale at a fireworks’ display, not a sterile discussion of insurance and out-of-pocket expenses. Look to delight your patient with this last impression. For example, a vase of fresh flowers on the desk and an offer of a Hershey’s Kiss or a York Peppermint Pattie can create the perfect ending. Also, attach a “Like Us on Facebook” postcard to the appointment card.

Proper Sure Seal Application

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ONE: Cut lenses to eye size of crib lenses down to remove tacky edges

TWO: To prepare your new Sure Seal tube for application, rotate the handle until you can just see the jelly like coating appear on the top

THREE: Rotate the handle 4 clicks and apply Sure Seal hydrophobic coating to the lens by blotting contents of tube once on front surface. Rotate the handle 4 more clicks and place a blot on the back surface. NOTE: Each application of Sure Seal will require 4 clicks of the handle.

FOUR: Carefully polish the jelly like coating over the entire surface of the lens with a Kimwipe or similar lens tissue until a uniform haze has developed over both the front and back surface. Be sure to recap the Sure Seal tube after use.

FIVE: Place Sure Seal coated lenses in Post Cure annealing oven for 10 minutes.

SIX: Upon completion of the 10 minute annealing cycle, wash the pair of lenses with Q-Soak and an AR cloth under hot running water to remove the excess buffed coating.

SEVEN: Clean lenses with Q-Spray

Note: if at any time you observe your hydrophobic coating to become discolored from its original condition, it should be properly disposed of. A new tube should be used at this point. Failure to do so will result in a less than quality product.

Build Your Own Discount Plan for Local Employers

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According to an AOA Third-Party/Managed Care Survey, “the typical OD patient profile includes 50.5% of patients covered by private insurance plans.” Although managed care acceptance does help increase patient traffic, it may not always help increase practice profits. As this trend continues to expand, creating your own discount plan for local employers can help you compete and profit in the growing managed care market.

As a Q-2100 system owner you have a unique advantage in creating your own discount vision plan. By promoting the clearLIGHT, sunSMART, ultraSUN and nanoCLEAR AR products you produce in office, you have a very controlled cost of goods. For Rx orders that are outside of your production range, you can supplement at Q-owner prices through Vision Dynamics Lab. By utilizing your proprietary products, you don’t have to guess or spend countless hours trying to figure out how a discount plan will affect your profits. You can be confident that the program will help grow your business.

Set up a program that gives a certain percentage or dollar amount off the services and eyewear you provide. Offer the program to small and medium sized local employers who do not currently offer a vision care plan to their employees.  Offer the program at no cost to the employers and your program becomes a value added benefit they can offer their staff and families.

Create the collateral material that explains your program with what is included and what is not. Assign an identification code to each business you are going to solicit. Create a membership card with the identification code that explains the discount program that can be handed out to their employees. Track the visits via the identification code to track your success.