Dr. Schmidt with Visionix technology in his office. He says the technology suite, which includes VX 120+ and VX 40 and the Briot Attitude, has changed how he delivers care and the level of profitability he is able to attain.
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By Kevin D. Schmidt, OD
Sept. 14, 2022
When patients visit an eyecare provider’s office, they may expect little more than refraction and a prescription for glasses. However, when you provide true, comprehensive care utilizing advanced technology, you can “wow” them. Imagine advancing one step further by ensuring they receive high-quality eyewear in a timely manner. Combining all three guarantees returning patients and referrals for new patients.
The technology offered by Visionix (formerly Luneau Technology | Optovue) is not only changing how we provide care, but also elevating the patient experience at our practice to the next level.
One Instrument, Many High-Level Functions
I began by adding the VX 120+ and VX 40 suite to my practices in late 2016. The multiple pieces of equipment I previously used cluttered my pretest room and bottle-necked patient flow. The ability to rapidly measure pachymetry, AR, AK, tonometry and topography from one instrument, without moving the patient, was a game-changer. The VX 120+’s multi-modality was my decision-maker to invest in this technology. In addition to the efficiency, multi-modality affords the additional square footage in my practice, which is almost impossible to come by.
Before having the speed of a single pretest instrument, many patients were disgruntled at the end of their visit. Despite our staff’s efficiency and professionalism, the testing time and lack of accuracy added many minutes to each visit, which only compounded as the day progressed. This inefficiency impacted our overall patient care performance and service. Now, we have a highly accurate starting point for the exam and refraction; data is obtained efficiently and simultaneously provides a smoother patient experience.
The Briot Attitude in-office edger carried us further, bringing drilling, facets and drill mount capabilities to the labs at each location to increase our ability to sell and service all finishing jobs at each office. We not only enhance the patient’s experience with the provider, but also offer a complete experience with accurate and timely in-office lens finishing.
Ensuring Accuracy for Even the Most Challenging Prescriptions
The accuracy of the wavefront autorefraction immediately gave us an awesome starting point on refractions, even with complex prescriptions. Before adding the VX 120+, as a clinician, I felt the autorefraction was more of a “bell and whistle” to impress the patient and often useless in their care; not so with this technology. The wavefront technology by Visionix is impressively accurate and a tremendous aid in finding the most comfortable prescription on the first visit that will please the patient.
We use the VX 40 to analyze the prescription of the lenses on patients’ previous eyeglasses. This automated wavefront lensmeter is a huge time-saver in training staff and charting results. When combined with our Briot Attitude lens finishing system, we can verify the precise prescription before edging the lens and ensure the final product dispensed was made exactly as prescribed.
Increasing Patient Satisfaction & Profitability
Billing pachymetry and topography measurements with help from our Visionix suite of technology have increased practice revenue in addition to efficiency. I practiced for many years without the ability to offer topography for my patients. Now, fitting scleral and other specialty lenses is possible, allowing me to care for even the most complex refractive needs and, as a result, increasing referrals from all patients.
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High-End Finishing Technology: A Must-Have to Exceed Patient Expectations
High-end finishing seems essential to all practices that want to provide specialty frames and lenses to their patient base. This equipment makes even my most novice opticians confident in their abilities. I’ve found it also reduces the stress load on my more experienced employees, leading to a more consistent output of eyewear. All of which provides for happy staff and customers.
Lab work has been a large part of my practice since 1993. Having high-end finishing technology in our offices has given me control over the quality of the product I deliver; I enjoy having in-house control of what we provide to patients. The amount I save on lab bills is money I can use for better equipment, added staffing, or a better vacation each year to help me recharge. Additionally, controlling the costs of lenses allows me to match pricing from big-box stores and online retailers. It decreases the turnaround time of delivering completed eyewear, which has become an expected perk of our patients and an edge over the competition. It is nice to exceed expectations, and Visionix integrated equipment has helped me do that.
Kevin D. Schmidt, OD, is the owner of Eyecare Plus, P.C. in Nashville, Tenn. To contact him: k.schmidt.od@myeyecareplus.com
