Insights From Our Editors

COVID-19 ECP Impact Survey Findings: Key Actions To Take Based on What’s Happening Now

By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD

Feb. 3, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is still a huge factor in the operations of our practices, according to the results of the latest Jobson Optical Research COVID-19 ECP impact survey. Here are key findings from the survey, including the actions you should take in response.

Note on the chart below the increase in the percentage of people who work in your location getting COVID-19 increased by 10 percent from 42 percent to 52 percent. Note also the trend line is upward. Both of these facts show that the longer the pandemic goes on, the more people will get the virus. We need to continue with our efforts to keep our patients, staff and doctors safe.

The trend line for billing for telemedicine services continues to go downward. This tells us that practices are putting less and less emphasis on telemedicine.

Even though this next slide does not show any significant change in the numbers from the last time we looked at this issue, it continues to be an important area that must be addressed. Knowing that this is a problem for your patients, make sure you are offering a solution both in the exam room and in the optical.

The optical sales data shows a 4 percent increase in optical sales this month over the same month last year. There is also a 3 percent increase in optical sales being about the same this year over the same month last year. That’s moving in the right direction. Keep doing what you are doing. Work on efficiency and effectiveness.

As the world opens back up, a question was asked to see what people were planning. This data shows that over half the people are still not comfortable going to meetings. And about half are not planning to attend any meetings for the foreseeable future.


*Note the new date and location of Vision Expo East.

A little over half of respondents have already received at least the first dose of the vaccine and only 12 percent of the people who have not are not planning to.

Conclusion
We are living through significant change. Some of the adaptations we’ve had to make may become permanent. Just remember, survival is not a matter of who is the strongest, but a matter of who can adapt the fastest and the best. Because we don’t want to just survive, we want to thrive, make plans to take your practice up a level.

>>Click HERE to download the latest survey findings on how the pandemic is impacting ECPs>>

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