Driving Your Practice
Put it in Writing
By Vision Council of America

Use the Check Yearly. See Clearly. (CYSC) materials and the logo in your practice, and you'll encourage patients to return when they are recalled and schedule exams for their family.

PATIENT RETENTION

The key is to start marketing to your current patients as soon as they walk in your door. Fill your waiting room with the CYSC balloons, brochures, buttons, clipboards, floor mat, poster, and wall clock, so your patients will learn the tagline that could forever improve their vision and your practice: Check Yearly. See Clearly.

Will your patients get the hint? They did for Johnnie Barnes, OD, of Athens, Ala. "I can't count the number of patients who, having seen the Check Yearly. See Clearly. materials, commented that they did not know they were supposed to come back for a regular exam," Barnes says.

Adds Patrick Langone, HFOAA, from Wakefield, Mass.: "Since implementing Check Yearly. See Clearly. into my practice, patients no longer question why they need to come back on a regular basis."

PATIENT RECRUITMENT

If just 10 percent of your patients refer one family member, you can experience an additional $55,000 in revenue (based on an average practice that sees 2,200 patients per year and average per patient revenue of $250).

So, how can you encourage your patients to schedule exams for their family? The first step is to ask each patient, while "in the chair", when was the last time their husband, wife, child, and parents had an exam.

The second step is to make sure that each patient receives written educational materials on the importance of exams for the whole family. Many eyecare professionals believe that they can effectively educate their patients while they are in the chair. However, research tells us that patients can quickly forget this information.

STOCKING UP

Check Yearly. See Clearly. offers a variety of educational materials on the importance of exams, including the popular "Look Out for Your Family's Vision" brochure. The program also provides free eyeglass case insert cards that remind patients why exams are important for children, baby boomers, and seniors.

After all, what parent would not think twice about scheduling exams for their children, parents, and themselves when they consider that one in four children has an undetected vision problem, and seniors with uncorrected vision impairments are 200 percent more likely to be in auto accidents.

For more practice tips, visit www.checkyearly.com.