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By David Zucker, OD
Oct. 6, 2021
The pandemic created a huge shift in how we live our lives, and how we use our eyes. Nearly all our patients now spend significant time in front of a computer and using other electronic devices like smartphones and tablets. That added screen time has resulted in more cases of digital eye fatigue, especially among those patients with even slight eye misalignment. There is a spectacle lens I have discovered, neurolens, that is changing the lives of many of these patients while generating substantial revenues.
A Visual Solution Almost Any Patient Can Benefit From
I started prescribing neurolenses in 2017 after hearing numerous success stories of patients with chronic headaches who benefited from having a pair of these glasses. The science of prism behind neurolens aided these patients’ eye misalignment so much that many experienced total, or near-total, elimination of migraines.
After success using neurolenses to aid patients struggling with headaches, I began to realize this product could benefit nearly any patient. Eyes that are 100 percent perfectly aligned are highly unusual. Almost all of us have at least a slight misalignment. When you are spending hours in front of a computer or another electronic device, that tiny misalignment can result in eye strain that a pair of prism glasses can greatly reduce.
I now prescribe neurolens for up to 15 percent of my patients, with more than 10 percent of patients choosing to follow my prescription and buy glasses with neurolenses from us. I expect the percentage of those prescribed neurolens, and those who buy a pair of these glasses from us, to continue growing. Sales of glasses with neurolenses now account for at least $135,000 in revenues annually in my practice.
Give Patients the Boost They Need to Live Their Best Lives
When you struggle with eye strain your energy is zapped. You have less energy to meaningfully interact with the people you care about, and to do the activities you most enjoy.
I explain to patients that we can think of our body like a computer operating system that can only do so many things at one time. I also educate my patients that their neurolens glasses are for the long-term, and that every year I will evaluate whether the amount of prism in their glasses is optimal and make adjustments as needed, just as I would for the rest of their prescription. If a pair of neurolenses can reduce the workload on the eyes long-term, energy is freed up for other more enjoyable things, like chatting with a spouse or playing with the kids.
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Easy Evaluation Process to Find More Patients to Help
The process begins when we ask all patients to fill out a short questionnaire on an iPad in which they answer questions like whether they ever get dizzy while driving. This is a common symptom of eye misalignment that many experience, not realizing there is an easy solution to prevent it from happening. “Our eyes are meant to work as a team, but for many of us, there is a slight misalignment between our eyes that prevents this from happening. That misalignment that keeps our eyes from working well as a team can result in tired, strained eyes, or even dizziness while driving, as you have been experiencing.”
Next, my technicians measure every patient on the neurolens Measurement Device to see if they could benefit from a pair of glasses with neurolenses. It takes around three minutes for our technicians to take measurements; and it takes just a few minutes in the exam room to discuss symptoms of eye strain and eye misalignment that patients may be having and explain how neurolenses can help. There are several simple tools that neurolens has provided that greatly aid these patient conversations.
Patients are often pleasantly surprised to learn there is a solution to these visual challenges; so getting many of my patients to try a pair of neurolenses for themselves is not a hard sell—and they continue to thank me for it years later.
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Changing Lives, Inspiring My Staff
My staff knows the difference neurolenses make in the lives of our patients, because they have heard firsthand accounts from patients about how they are now able to be a better husband or father because they are not as tired at the end of the day; or in some extreme cases, how they are finally able to drive a car again.
The emotional buy-in and enthusiasm of your staff is just one of the many side benefits of offering a life-changing product like neurolens to your patients. Like yourself, your staff will remember why they come to work every day, and will be eager to provide this life-enhancing solution to more patients.
David Zucker, OD, is the owner of Urban Optics Optometric Center in Santa Barbara, Calif. To contact him: davidnzucker@gmail.com
