Product profile

Supporting remote

patient care

Krupa Patel explains how CooperVision’s My Lens Life programme can reduce drop-out and offer step-by-step support for remote patient communication...

It’s no surprise that Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the way optical practices interact with their patients. Reduced face-to-face contact, limited in-practice experience and remote consultations mean practices are having to rethink their patient communication strategy and offer additional support, particularly when it comes to the journey for new contact lens wearers.

CHANGED CONTACT LENS JOURNEY The pandemic has taught us a number of things: the rapid integration of digital into our lives, a realisation that the patient journey doesn’t just happen in-practice, and an understanding of the opportunity this presents for patient retention and loyalty.

Interestingly, remote triage and aftercare continue to increase – with 49 per cent of eyecare practitioners (ECPs) conducting phone consultations during lockdown, whilst 36 per cent conducted video consultations1. When looking to the future, 25 per cent of Europeans expect to shop less in physical stores after Covid-19 compared to pre-crisis2. Therefore, it’s vital we cater to the new normal and adapt the way we do business to provide even more support to patients, whether they are new to contact lenses or an established wearer.

My Lens Life has been developed to address this issue, providing a suite of communication tools and advice for every step of the journey, without compromising a patient’s health.

STOPPING THE DROP-OUT So why is it that more than half of patients who undergo a contact lens trial drop out? Getting patients to trial contact lenses can be easier than getting them to stick with it. In fact, research has found that in the first three months, 52 per cent of drop-outs claimed either application, removal or ‘feeling squeamish’ about touching their eyes was their reason for doing so3. Forty-five per cent of patients who dropped out beyond three months claimed either discomfort, dry/watering/red eyes, or infection was the reason3 .

With the remote care model, the risk of patients struggling with their contact lenses – and potentially dropping out – is greatly increased. Application and removal training is fundamental to a patient’s success with contact lenses. Often they blame themselves if they struggle with handling, with 27 per cent reluctant to seek help from their practice or ECP3 . The takeaway? It’s all about timing. From booking their appointment and the first teach, to trial and aftercare, patients require optimum guidance and proactive support at the right time in their journey to support them on their path to success.

My Lens Life looks to overcome these challenges by breaking down patient communication into three stages, from pre-assessment to trial and aftercare. It offers a range of printed materials, emails and text messages tailored to each stage of the patient journey to help enhance the service offered by practices.

STAGE ONE: PRE-ASSESSMENT My Lens Life begins as soon as a patient is booked in for their contact lens appointment. Waiting for their first experience of contact lenses can be daunting, so educating them on what to expect can help them approach the start of their journey with excitement. An A5 pre-assessment booklet offers a handy guide ahead of their appointment, along with space to include their appointment details so they remember to attend.

Once your patient leaves the practice, an email is sent to them in order to create excitement about the benefits of contact lenses, dispel any myths that may be playing on their mind, and reiterate what to expect so they feel confident about their next appointment.

STAGE TWO: TRIAL Once the assessment is complete, we enter a phase of drop-out risk – the trial period. By offering as much remote support as possible, we can minimise practice visits alongside minimising drop-outs. A starter pack is available to support the patient through this critical part of their journey. The handy, reusable pouch includes a leaflet with application and removal guidance, as well as helpful hints and tips on wearing their lenses. Plus, the kit includes a removal reminder sticker for their phone, and an application guidance sticker for their mirror.

After the patient has left the practice with their trial lenses, an email is available to send that offers the patient encouragement and reassurance on what they might be experiencing at this point in their journey. The email also offers help and advice on what to do if they are experiencing difficulties.

The patient/practice My Lens Life and My Lens Coach support tools provide a suite of remote communication tools to mitigate against contact lens drop-out

STAGE THREE: AFTERCARE Once a patient converts to a fully-fledged contact lens wearer, we want to reaffirm that they have made the right choice. It’s important to also make the patient aware that ongoing support is available to them should they need it –as well as encourage their continuation of contact lens wear.

A welcome pack provides patients with additional support to take away with their first set of purchased lenses. The recyclable bag contains their lenses plus a leaflet that reaffirms their decision to become a contact lens wearer. It could also include any exclusive offers available at the practice to keep the patient connected and help practices grow via recommendation.

Once the patient has purchased lenses and left the practice with their welcome pack, a series of emails are available to keep communications open with them. The emails have details on what they can expect at this point in their contact lens journey, as well as the ability to flag to the practice when they are struggling. These are designed to be sent at three weeks, three months and six months.

The My Lens Life website, available at www.mylenslife.uk and optimised for mobiles, is also a useful hub of information for patients, and a robust reference point for becoming a contact lens wearer. The website is referenced on all materials and features application and removal videos, as well as guides for the patient at each key stage of their contact lens journey.

PROMOTING A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE Shaimil Shah, director and optometrist at Opticare Opticians, has been successfully using the My Lens Life materials to foster loyalty in his contact lens patients. When asked about his experience, Shaimil commented: “When the concept of My Lens Life and My Lens Coach was propositioned to us, it was a breath of fresh air. Finally, a lens manufacturer has found a concept to help create and retain long-standing contact lens customers.

“So far, we’ve had excellent feedback from patients who feel we are on hand 24/7 with any contact lens queries, and it has become an invaluable tool in converting patients into contact lens wear. These programmes will no doubt prove vital as we look to increase our contact lens business,” added Shaimil.

SUPPORT IN YOUR PATIENTS’ HANDS The programme offers an additional tool in the form of My Lens Coach. This automated new wearer email and textbased support tool sends patients weblinks to additional wearer information and asks them to rate their contact lens experience. Patient rating feedback is sent to a practice’s portal whilst the practice is alerted via email to any new updates. This helps a practice identify any potential highrisk drop-outs, and reach out to provide additional support.

Overall, we’ve looked to develop a useful tool for any practice looking to improve their patient communication and identify new ways of engaging them during this shift to remote care. My Lens Life is part of the CooperVision Advantage offering, a unique range of business support services that have been created to help practices build a loyal patient base through practice building, patient communications and ongoing education.

For more details of My Lens Life, visit www.coopervision.co.uk/mylenslife or speak to your CooperVision business development manager.

REFERENCES 1. CooperVision data on file 2020. Covid-19 contact lens practitioner survey, Flame Health, May 2020. Base (all respondents): Total n=177, UK, multi-answer. 2. McKinsey & Company. Consumer sentiment and behavior continue to reflect the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis. 2020. Available at: www.mckinsey.com/business-

functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/a-globalview-of-how-consumer-behavior-is-changing-amidcovid-19

3. CooperVision data on file. Category retention research, 2016.

My Lens Life

Krupa Patel BSc (Hons) Optom is head of professional services for CooperVision UK and Ireland.