What do you and your team say to patients who state: “I just want a copy of my prescription today!” Optical
capture percentages are historically low and dropping further as Big Box optical continues to advertise during
your patient’s TV time.
Stay tuned for how to manage this prevailing and persistent problem every
independent practice faces today.
Cheers, Mark
Ask better questions. Your patient history/lifestyle questions should be open ended. Revisit all patient questions and be sure they start with “Do you ever notice…?” “Do your eyes ever….?” “Would you be interested in…?” Shift to “When do you notice…?” “What would you like your…?” OPEN-ENDED questions to gain enough information to be able to prescribe for need/want. When you open the questions for your patient to provide something more than “Yes” or “No” answers. When patients participate with answers that help them identify their own desire to fix their vision, they’re more likely to fill that prescription.
Let’s look at examples; “How have your eyes been doing?” “Fine!” People don’t respond to such broad pointed questions that may single them out; it sounds like a probing question o sell them something. Imagine changing these questions to: “Pat, everyday patients tell us they struggle to see comfortably at distance, in between or computer, or close up, where are you hoping Dr Wise will help you see better?” This is an inclusive question,
includes the patient name {Connect}, expresses concern and leads to a better answer, which leads to prescribing for an outcome; then the likelihood of filling this Rx increases, as the patient was included.
Make your questions the best they can possibly be.
Cheers, Mark
