Technology in the Contact Lens Space
Darryl Glover
Welcome to the second part of our Mod Pod special edition episode. If you have not listened to part one where we discussed building momentum in your contact lens business, feel free to pause this episode now and start at the beginning. My name is Dr. Darryl Glover, I'm an optometrist based in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina with MyEyeDr., and I love providing comprehensive eye care. Today I get to hang out with two ODs that have really changed the game, but understand the patient journey. And what we're going to talk about today is really about technology when it comes to the contact lens space. Today I have with me the wonderful Dr. Britt Gustafson, and also Dr. Selina McGee. How are you two doing today?
Britt Gustafson
Great to be here with both of you today. I'm Dr. Britt Gustafson, I have a Walmart sub-lease in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we have a heavy contact lens practice. About 50% of our patients wear contact lenses, always aiming to grow that number larger. And I've had the unique experience to be a clinical investigator over the years as well.
Selina McGee
Hi everybody. Thanks for joining in, and I'm excited to be here with Britt and Darryl, you guys are in for a treat. These are two subject matter experts that you're going to learn a lot from. I know I learned something new from both of them. I practice in Edmond Oklahoma at BeSpoke Vision. We are a primary care practice, we do all kinds of fun things, but we are heavily focused on contact lenses. And that's what we're going to talk about today is technology, and the opportunities that are hiding in plain sight with your patients that are already in your chair.
Darryl Glover
I love that. And when I think about opportunity, and when I think about technology, I think about all these patients out there that have astigmatism. There's nearly half of our patients who need correction for astigmatism, and when we see those patients walk in our office, we all get concerned about the three Cs, comfort, costs, and chair time. So today I'd really like to spend some time talking about this because this can truly serve as a barrier when it comes to fitting these patients. Britt, I'm curious to know, how are you tackling these three Cs in your practice, especially when it comes to fitting a toric contact lens?
Britt Gustafson
I just want to say how much I love what Selina said about hiding in plain sight, and that so well summarizes our astigmatic patients. It's easy to overlook that opportunity, which I think is huge. For me, one of my favorite patients is a new patient to my office that's been wearing a spherical equivalent for years, and showing that patient how they can see with a toric lens, just a quick demonstration in the phoropter, and getting that reaction from the patients.
And that reaction gets the buy-in, and right there, that eliminates any concern I have about chair time. And I know with the Alcon WaterInnovations portfolio, I'm confident that I have a myriad of technologies to address that patient's needs and get them comfortable in their lenses. And I find that when they get that buy-in, they know their vision will be better, they're comfortable, then patients really don't worry about cost because they see the value of the product that I'm recommending.
Darryl Glover
Now, I want to break down that chair time a little bit more, especially when it comes to that toric lens, because a lot of our colleagues, and I'm guilty of doing this, especially earlier on in my career, I would put a patient in a spherical equivalent lens. But now I realize the benefit of that minus-75, and how much sharper and clearer a patient could see. I'm curious to know, how long does that take you to do that when you're in that patient care, and examining those patients, and giving them these different options between a spherical and toric lens, Britt?
Britt Gustafson
I would say the fitting process between a spherical and toric, if there's a difference, it's less than 30 seconds. It's maybe a quick explanation why I'm doing what I'm doing, why I'm recommending it, saying, "You have astigmatism, you have astigmatism in your glasses, let's give you the same vision in your contacts as you have in your glasses." And then introducing them to the contact. And I feel like the technologies in the Alcon portfolio, they settle on the eye so quickly, I don't have to worry about giving that patient extra time for those lenses to settle like I did 20 plus years ago. Like you Darryl, I used to mask astigmatism because it took longer to fit those toric lenses and that just isn't the case anymore.
Darryl Glover
Yeah, I like that 30 seconds. And I think of that as 30 seconds of success, 30 seconds of loyalty, 30 seconds of changing the game. So take that additional time, you'll be blown away by the experience that your patients will have, but most importantly, the marketing that those patients will do for you and bring more patients to your practice, because you're able to help them see sharply and clearly. Now Selina, we got to know about how you feel about this comfort, cost, and chair time because we all know you create that bespoke experience. So paint that picture of how you're jumping these hurdles in your practice with your patients as well.
Selina McGee
Yes. I love what you guys said, and I'm going to reframe this a little bit. I found that I spent more time explaining why a patient's vision wasn't as crisp in their contact lens as it was in their glasses. And when I reframed that of like, okay, I have technology now to put a toric lens on the patient, it takes me less time to fit a patient in a toric contact lens than a spherical equivalent and an explanation. So I think if you reframe that, and just time yourself next time that you do that to a patient and they're like, "Why isn't my vision just as sharp? Can't you make it like it is in my glasses?"
I think if you look at how much time you spend in your explanation, you can reach in and put a toric lens on the patient, and not have to go through all of that. Make the patient happy, make yourself happy. And so I would encourage our audience that's listening, reframe that. Think about what you're doing next time that you do a spherical equivalent. When was the last time that you wrote a glasses prescription that was a spherical equivalent?
We don't do it because we have the technology to make patients see well, but we get stuck in our own habits, and we continue to do the same things that we've done sometimes for 5, 10, 15 years. And so we don't write prescriptions like that for spectacles, why would we do that for contact lenses? And I think if you look at how much time you actually spend talking and educating to patients, you could probably just fit a toric contact lens.
Darryl Glover
I love that. And one thing that I want to touch on is what does that picture look like once you fit that patient with that toric contact lens? Because for me, when I see those smiles, when I see the patients wanting to step out the door and look out at a distance to see how clearly things, it just brings a smile to my face, honestly. I think it's one of the most rewarding experiences. But I'd love for you to maybe share a story in regards to a patient that you've encountered that you fit them with that toric lens, you went that extra 30 seconds, and it changed their lives. Britt, if you don't mind sharing.
Britt Gustafson
Absolutely. Like you Darryl, I really aim to exceed patients' expectations, and want that wow experience. I feel like that really builds my practice and builds rapport with each patient, and it makes my day more fun. I had a patient not too long ago who was a new patient to me, she was wearing a spherical equivalent, she has 75 diopters against the rule. And so I had her in the phoropter and showed her, this is how you're seeing out of your current contact lenses that don't have astigmatism in them, this is how you can see out of contact that would correct your astigmatism.
And when I showed her, she sat back from the phoropter and looked at me and said, "Why would anyone have done that to me?" And I thought, "Whoa." And I've been guilty of it too before of masking that 75, thinking I'm saving myself time. But Selina has said that so brilliantly, that if you think about, you're going to have to explain your way out of why their vision's not as clear. That's a definite rabbit hole of time that we don't want to spend our precious chair time explaining why they're not seeing well. I think that was such a brilliant reframe by her. I'd much rather spend my time celebrating why they're seeing well and succeeding.
Darryl Glover
I honestly think it's our obligation, it's our duty to help patients see as clearly as they can. So we have to make sure we take it to the next level, and we have to partner with organizations like Alcon that provide these amazing solutions for these patients, not only to see well, but also have the comfort that the patients are looking for as well. Now, we did not really touch on the costs, and I know that's a hurdle for some of our colleagues out there. How are you two really communicating costs when it comes to this amazing portfolio of contact lenses? Selina, let's start with you.
Selina McGee:
Sure. So I make it a point to never get in a patient's pocketbook. That is not my job, that is not where I belong. When I think about it, and I often like to break it down for patients, how much did you spend on that Starbucks venti, whatever you're drinking that's drying you out, by the way, on the way in here. And when I can break it down like that and the lenses, isn't your vision worth it?
And so I personally do not talk about money in the chair. I feel pretty strongly in my clinic that there should be a separation of church and state, so to speak. So I prescribe the technology, and I rely on my team to reinforce that. Honestly, I don't even know how much the lenses are. If a patient asks me, I honestly can't tell them because I don't know. There's so much that goes into that, and the way that we have our levels set that I can't confidently even talk about price.
Darryl Glover
Amen to that. I want to expand on that and give an example and story. My mother aging, soon to retire, not a lot of money saved, but guess what? She may go in somewhere and not have that money at that moment, but she has a son, she has a daughter. So you never judge a person. You never know what they can do, or who may be there to support them. So make sure you always give your patients the solutions at their fingertips in order to see clearly and sharply. It is our job to make sure that everyone can see acutely out there.
This special edition episode of Mod Pod is sponsored by Alcon. Thank you Alcon for partnering with us on this episode.
Now I want to pivot the conversation from a toric lens to a multifocal lens. We are in an era where there's an aging population, and we have to be able to cater to these patients. So I'm curious to know what it looks like in your practice, with the same concept when it comes to comfort, costs, and chair time with these patients. Because although toric and multifocals have similar hurdles, it can be a little different with this patient base. So Britt, I love to know what does this look like in your practice, and what are you fitting when it comes to contact lens in your practice as well?
Britt Gustafson
Yeah, multifocal contact lenses are one of the things I love fitting the most, and I never would've said that 15 years ago. I used to despise fitting multifocal contact lenses, it took a ton of chair time, patients weren't necessarily thrilled. And that's changed so much with the advent of the Alcon multifocal lenses. Daily's TOTAL1 multifocal is my go-to, I think Selina mentioned that she's a member of the Multifocal Club as I am too. So that's made it easier to recommend it to my patients and that they know I wear it.
One of the first patients I fit into an Alcon multifocal was a long-time patient of mine, and her husband came in two weeks later, and before I could even get in the exam room, he said, "I want those contacts you gave my wife, and I don't care what they cost." And that to me, imparted how critical this technology is, and how that can generate really amazing word of mouth referrals and help build the practice, basically building that on those really satisfied and ecstatic patients.
Darryl Glover
Fantastic. Selina, what are you seeing in your practice?
Selina McGee
I'm like Britt, I love a multifocal patient. I just have taken a deep dive into presbyopia, and not honestly because I'm there, although I'm much more empathetic than I used to be. But because these patients are really frustrated, and you can create those wow moments, and presbyopia has become another pillar of mine inside my practice. Not only contact lens, but presbyopia in and of itself because there's so much opportunity here. And if we think that a Millennial is going to wear glasses on the end of their nose, we are in for a sorely mistaken perception. And so I think my biggest takeaway is that we should fit multifocals much earlier in the patient journey.
And yeah, if you fit someone when they're starting to complain that my eyes are tired at the end of the day, not when they need a plus 250 add. Think about it, even with a progressive lens, it's a lot harder to adapt to that than if you put them in when they need a plus one or a plus one and a quarter, and you can work the patient into that. I think that's the real practical knowledge when we're talking about technology is starting the patient earlier in the journey in a multifocal before they honestly demand it.
And that has really helped my success, not shying away from that, but starting a patient early, and then working them into that. Don't wait until they're 50 before you put them in a multifocal lens, start it when they're 42, 43, and they're early in their journey. And we've talked a lot about journey of the patient. There's a journey through presbyopia, and I think that's really key when you educate patients about what to expect. And I want patients to never be surprised, so I start talking about this when they're 37, 38, 39, so that when they get there and they arrive, they're not shocked.
They know I am their subject matter expert, and I am here for them, and we're going to get through this together. And I have the technology to take them to whatever they want to do in that next 15 years because things are going to change. And I think there's just that reassurance. I don't even know how many conversations I had today just specifically about presbyopia and expectations. And I think if we take just a few moments to educate our patients truly on presbyopia, we would find success across all of our modalities, whether it's spectacle lenses, contact lenses, refractive lens exchange, across all of that, we would have better success.
And so that would be one of my takeaways from this conversation is, lean on your technology, it doesn't take more chair time if you do just a little bit of setup for yourself and for the patient that they can really invest in you and your knowledge.
Darryl Glover
Yeah, we got to lean into that technology, as you mentioned. Both Dailies, TOTAL1, and TOTAL30, their multifocal lenses really address the issues of comfort, vision performance, and it's just amazing what it can do when it comes to vision at all distances. Now, when it comes to leaning into that technology, Alcon is known for creating amazing contact lenses. And they now have a new option that's a part of their portfolio, Precision Seven. I would love for Britt to maybe walk us through what is this lens all about? Because I've been hearing a lot about it, and I also have it in my practice, and I've seen some success with it. But I'm curious to know, what is your perspective, and just break down what this lens is all about.
Britt Gustafson
Yeah Darryl, I'm excited about a new lens from Alcon. I already feel like, gosh, we have such great technology and they're bringing another lens to the market. So this is just another tool in our toolbox to meet our patients where they are. So Precision Seven is a weekly lens, so now we'll have one day, one week, and one month lenses to offer our patients. For myself, I always want patients in a single use daily disposable, but we know not every patient wants or needs a daily disposable.
So I think that one week modality gets us a tool to help get those patients closer to that daily disposable, and also they're having that fresh lens every week. So that gives our patients another option to help their wearing experience. I'm so excited to have another member of the WaterInnovations portfolio, and I'm just thrilled that Alcon continues to listen to eye care providers, and listen to what we need, what our patients need to succeed, and then they really innovate with intention to meet those needs.
Darryl Glover
I love it. And that's why it's important to partner with the right organizations, who's actually listening and giving you solutions for your patients, and Alcon has an amazing platform known as MARLO, and it's one of the first of its kind of a digital eye care ally that really helps patients to reorder their contact lenses, essentially. Selina, I know you've leveraged this in your practice, I would love to get a little more insight in regards to how this has elevated and changed the game for you.
Selina McGee
I think it's a great platform, and we've utilized MARLO from the beginning. We were, I think, one of the beta sites for it. And to your point, Darryl, we're always looking to give our patients that experience. And remember, we're competing with Amazon, and Google, and Apple. That's what our patients compare us to, and none of us have those dollars. And so I always look for ways to give my patients that type of experience, and MARLO does that, but it looks like it's my brand.
So the patient gets a link, it comes from BeSpoke Vision. They can sit on their phone at midnight when they remember, "Oh my gosh, I have one contact lens left, I got to order these." And they can do it in their pajamas from their bedroom, or wherever they are. And so that flexibility and that technology, and we keep talking about that technology, but that's what it gives them. But it looks like it comes from my practice. And so it's a platform that I can give my patients the experience that I want them to have.
Darryl Glover
Thanks so much Britt and Selina, this has been great. I've learned so much from both of you, but we now must come to an end. This has been amazing talking about technology, but I'd love for you just to leave a gem, a pearl, for all our colleagues out there to go out tomorrow and implement it to their practice. Britt, what would be that last pearl that you would love to leave with our colleagues?
Britt Gustafson
Oh, thank you, Darryl. If you ever have the thought, I wish more of my patients had X technology, you are the one that can make that happen. But one of the things I've learned from working with Selina is to be intentional. I hear her say that a lot, and I've done a lot of reflecting on that. And to me, embracing technology has to be intentional, and we do everything patient by patient.
Darryl Glover
And Selina, what do you have for us, my friend?
Selina McGee
I love it, man. You guys are so just amazing practitioners, and you've given our colleagues a lot of really great information. And I would challenge each of us to be in the moment. And those three Cs that we talked about when we think about toric lenses, and multifocal lenses, and when we look at those as cost, "Oh, my patient's not going to pay for this." Chair time, "Oh, this is going to take a lot of chair time. I'm already two patients deep. How am I going to do this? I'm just going to put them in a spherical equivalent. Or we'll just put reading glasses over their contact lenses."
And then that third piece, "Well, toric lenses aren't as comfortable,." I would really challenge each of us to be in the moment, and really listen to your patient. And then get out of your own way when it comes to cost. That is not our job, our job is to prescribe the right technology for that patient in whatever situation they're in. Challenge yourself when you are looking at chair time.
Where's the system that you can put in place? How do you ask the question differently? What do you do intentionally about that patient? Can you fit a toric lens in the amount of time it takes to fit a spherical equivalent? And then tell the patient why their vision's not as good in their contact lens as it was in their glasses. And then lastly, comfort. And when you look at the WaterInnovations portfolio, I want you to fit that lens in the next 10 patients. And then I want you to write down exactly what the patient told you when they put it on.
Because what that's going to give you is your fourth C, which is confidence. That's what you really truly need, that's what's missing, is your confidence in your capabilities. And let me tell you, each and every one of you have the capabilities of being an amazing contact lens practitioner when you lean in on technology, and you build your confidence. That's what I really want you to focus on the next day, week, month. And then I want to have another conversation about what you've done next and how you've grown your practice in that way.
Darryl Glover
Well, hey Britt, Selina, you have given me confidence to take it to the next level. And I want to thank all for listening to this special edition episode of the Mod Pod.