Adaptive Defense Part 4: Dispensing for Blue Light Across the Patient Journey

Posted: October 07, 2021

Category: Education

In Part 3 of our series, we descended from a bird’s eye view to an up-close look at SunSync^® Elite and SunSync Elite XT Light-Reactive Lenses, exploring all the reasons they’ve secured the top spot as the most versatile blue light solutions for all age groups. In Part 4, we’ll walk you step-by-step through the patient journey, providing proven tips at each stage to reinforce your recommendation of an ultra-fast light-reactive lens as the best choice to defend against blue light exposure and enhance a person’s visual world by offering unmatched, life-reactive benefits.

Stage 1: Pre-Visit

Get to Know Your Patient
As we’ve discussed throughout this series, it’s important to become acquainted with your patient to understand their needs, wants, and lifestyle so you can recommend the best lenses and enhancements for their circumstances. SunSync Elite and SunSync Elite XT are ideal choices for patients who want the convenience of a single pair offering clear, comfortable vision that smoothly adapts to changing environments and defends against all the blue light they’re exposed to—not only from digital devices, but also from the sun.

When it comes to getting to know your patient, the first step is to capture personal information using a short lifestyle questionnaire: a simple form the patient completes when they arrive, or prior to their visit. It’s best to email them the questionnaire and review their answers before the appointment so you already have an optical solution in mind and can customize their experience the moment they arrive for their exam.

The questionnaire should ask about their goals for the eye exam, indicate the type of work they do, daily activities and hobbies, how much time they spend indoors and outside, any complaints they have about their vision, and of course, how many hours a day they spend in front of a screen. Make sure to share this questionnaire with all staff members involved in the patient’s journey.

Personalizing the patient’s visit by mentioning facts gleaned from their questionnaire shows that you’ve taken the time to get to know them, their needs, and their visual problems or concerns.

This does wonders for their experience with your practice! It also makes your recommendation for an ultra-fast, light-reactive lens as a blue light solution more personal—and one based on deep consideration of their best interests—instead of an upsell at the end of a visit.

Start the Conversation Early
Discussing the best options for lenses or enhancements with your patient should begin as soon as they walk through the door. If you’ve collected their questionnaire responses and/or understand their needs ahead of time, you can begin the discussion at check-in.

It’s a great idea to outfit your front-of-house team with the lenses and enhancements you may ultimately recommend so they can share their own relatable experiences with the products. A sample script could go like this:

“Hello Mr. Chambers. I see you’re having some issues with sore eyes while working on your computer. I used to have the same problem. Dr. Stephens recommended I start wearing these SunSync Elite lenses and my eyes feel so much better now. They also change from clear indoors to dark outdoors, which is really convenient.”

Stage 2: Pre-Test

Keep the Conversation Going
Once the patient is admitted to the pre-test room, your optical technician can continue the conversation, chatting with them about their workday, pastimes, weekend activities, and again, how much time they spend viewing digital screens. The technician can also delve deeper into any eye discomfort that the patient has noted.

Again, this is a perfect opportunity to have your staff share their personal experiences, such as:

“I understand the need to rub your eyes after a few hours of computer work. Before I started wearing SunSync Elite, mine started to feel dry and irritated by noon, but now I find that I can work comfortably until late in the day without having to use eye drops anymore.”

Hand-offs along the patient journey are extremely important. And, while the hand-off from the doctor to the optician is usually the most significant, the conversion from the technician to the doctor is equally important—even if it’s not in person.

Simply reinforce that the patient’s concerns are the top priority by reaffirming their issues while closing out the pretest and preparing for the doctor’s arrival.

“Ok, Mr. Chambers, Dr. Stephens will be with you shortly. I’ve noted your complaint about sore eyes while using the computer in your file. I’ll mention to the doctor that you might be interested in a light-reactive lens to help with that.”

Stage 3: The Exam

Speak their Language
When it comes to discussing your patient’s vision, keep it simple. Patients are often intimidated by medical jargon when being questioned or informed about their issues and potential solutions. Remember to speak plainly to your patient and focus on benefits rather than features.

For example, when you address the blue light question, refrain from asking “Do you experience digital eye strain?” They may not make the connection, so leading questions about their symptoms are more effective. Instead, ask if they suffer from sore or tired eyes when looking at their phone or computer screens after a couple hours. Based on their response, you can progress with follow-up questions such as “Do you move between indoor and outdoor environments throughout the day?” This naturally leads to the next question, “Would you like your lenses to get dark when you go outside?” Another question like “Do you find it inconvenient to switch between several pairs of glasses throughout the day?” can steer them toward a life-reactive lens like SunSync Elite or SunSync Elite XT.

“Practices that do significantly better in adoption of lens recommendations, lens options, and second sets really have that chairside component with the doctor spending some time talking to the patient.”
O.D. and consultant, Jim Winnick.

Dispense from the Chair
A doctor’s words carry a lot of weight with a patient; there’s a deserved element of trust in a medical expert’s recommendation. That’s why dispensing from the chair is essential to helping a patient accept the merit in a prescribed lens or enhancement. It’s similar to a family practitioner prescribing medicine to treat a patient’s ailment.

The vast majority of patients accept the doctor’s prescription based on their training and expertise. The same logic holds true in your practice. A patient is likely to view the doctor’s prescribed lens-enhancement combination as medical guidance for treating something like eye strain, where it can come across as an upsell if only presented alongside coatings and frames.

During the exam, you might mention how the various light-reactive solutions uniquely address the needs of certain professionals:

“Several of our patients are real estate and construction workers who move between indoors and outside throughout their day. They often experience tired, irritated eyes due to a hefty dose of blue light from both digital screens and the sun. SunSync Elite is tailor-made to defend against blue light and UV exposure, and really helps reduce discomfort caused by eye strain. For driving, and extended hours in bright sun, SunSync Elite XT is the perfect choice for extra blue light defense."

Stage 4: At the Dispensing Table

Prescribe. Don’t Recommend.
Earlier, we discussed the importance of a good hand-off between the doctor and the optician. Part of that hand-off includes repeating the doctor’s “recommendation” back to the patient at the dispensing table. However, it is critical to phrase the lens and enhancement as an actual prescription, not a recommendation.

“I see Dr. Stephens has prescribed SunSync Elite on your Unity Via Progressive lenses to reduce your blue light exposure and help with your eye strain.”

This validates the patient’s conversation with the doctor and presents the lens-enhancement combo as a treatment plan from their trusted medical provider. From that point on, the path is paved for the optician to demonstrate the excellent clarity, darkness, and ultra-fast, fade-back speed; walk the patient through all the additional benefits; and help them select the perfect frame.

Start with Blue Light, But Don’t Stop There
Many opticians are dispensing SunSync Elite and SunSync Elite XT for their excellent “always on” blue light defense. However, these ultra-fast, light-reactive lenses provide such an array of excellent benefits, you’d be doing your patients a disservice if you didn’t share all of their great advantages.

Revolutionary reaction speeds allow wearers to go from indoors to outside and back with clarity, comfort and convenience. They also provide 100% UV protection and comfortable vision outdoors, are extremely durable, and have a longer performance lifespan than conventional photochromics.¹

"SunSync Elite is our go-to lens for patients wanting the indoor clarity and the outdoor tint. The speed with which they return to the clear state has been a strong selling point. I love my new lenses and recommend them to my patients without any hesitation."
An optician's reponse to a recent SunSync Elite Satisfaction Survey.

Collect and Share Patient Successes
When possible, gather your own patient success stories and share them with others to whom you’re recommending the same type of product. Telling a story about a person who used to suffer from eye strain before switching to SunSync Elite can often be the most effective way to help a patient see the value in choosing an ultra-fast, light-reactive lens.

Patient endorsements can also help reassure those on the fence about a light-reactive lens. Plenty of satisfied wearers are eager to share their success stories with a great product. Here are a few from happy SunSync Elite wearers:

“I really like my SunSync Elite lenses, especially the fact that they can filter out blue light for computer work. It’s a great addition!"

“After being outside where my lenses have darkened significantly, to then come back inside and not be able to recognize they've changed back to clear because it’s so seamless, is wonderful!"

“So far, the best out there for photochromic lenses!"

Overcome Preconceptions about Past Photochromics
Even with all the benefits of SunSync Elite and SunSync Elite XT, some patients may feel that switching to a light-reactive lens is too big of a leap, e.g., it may take too long to adjust, they won’t be dark enough (or too dark indoors), or they’ll have to give up their stylish suns. Those who’ve had bad experiences with previous versions of photochromics may take a bit of convincing. Simply take a moment to reiterate the technological advancement of an ultra-fast light-reactive lens over previous generations of photochromics, including: ultra-fast fade-back and activation speed, clear indoor and dark outdoor appearance, and excellent durability. Also, remember to share your own personal experience and patient endorsements to convince them of the benefits.

Reassure Patients with a One-Year Satisfaction Guarantee
Regardless of technological advancements, superior performance, and rave reviews, some patients are still going to have some hesitation when it comes to trying something new. Offering them a full year to try these lenses risk-free is a great way to overcome potential resistance and buyer’s remorse. If a wearer decides they’re not thrilled with SunSync Elite or SunSync Elite XT for any reason, they can return them for a full refund.²

After a successful practice experience, your patient will be eager to start enjoying the benefits of their new ultra-fast, light-reactive lenses with always-on blue light defense. Make sure your front office staff informs them of their delivery date and reminds them of what a great choice they’ve made in choosing SunSync Elite or SunSync Elite XT. And once again, note the one-year satisfaction guarantee to remove any lingering doubt about their purchase.

Stage 5: Check-Out

Stage 6: Post-Visit

Stay in Touch
After their visit, it’s a great idea to keep your patient informed on the latest information about blue light through emails and links to articles on your practice’s social media channels. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and empowering your patients with useful information like this elevates your customer experience, while making them feel confident about choosing a lens with blue light-reducing properties during their next exam. Remember, every touchpoint in their patient journey reinforces the positive experience they enjoyed during their visit and confirms their decision to choose you as their eye doctor.

Now that you’ve learned about all the benefits of SunSync Elite and SunSync Elite XT, what’s stopping you from embracing these innovative and versatile lens solutions?

1. SunSync Elite exhibited superior clarity, darkness, and photochromic change speeds after Q-SUN simulated aging tests equivalent to two years of average wear.
2. One-year guarantee exclusive to VSP members.