Implementing Preventative Eye Care Protocols in Your Optometry Practice

The American Optometric Association reports only about half of Americans schedule annual comprehensive eye examinations. This explains why an estimated 16 million people suffer from untreated vision problems.

Has your optometry practice implemented preventative eye care protocols? If not, consider creating them to keep patients’ eyes healthy.

Find out how to make eye problem prevention a bigger part of your optometry office.

Understanding Preventative Eye Care

Preventative eye care differs from other types of eye care your optometry clinic offers. Discover what sets it apart.

Definition and Importance

Preventative care involves doctors examining patients’ eyes to pinpoint problems. Here are examples of the preventative care optometrists can perform:

• Arranging regular eye exams
• Conducting routine vision tests
• Carrying out overall wellness checks
• Detecting glaucoma, cataracts, and other conditions early
• Scheduling treatments to prevent vision loss

Preventative care can benefit doctors and patients. Your office will get to know patients better, and patients will learn about eye issues before they cause permanent vision loss.

Common Eye Conditions Prevented by Regular Check-Ups

Your optometry practice can help people prevent many common eye conditions. Here are several examples:

• Glaucoma: According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, over 80 million people have this disease globally. It can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness if it isn’t caught early.
• Cataracts: More than 20 million Americans are affected by this disease, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. It can cause blindness if not treated soon enough.
• Age-related macular degeneration: The CDC says nearly 20 million Americans have macular degeneration, a disease that can cause central vision loss. Catching it early is the key.

Preventative eye care can also assist with watery eyes, myopia management, and other eye disease or infection concerns.

Components of a Routine Vision Exam

A recent Women in Optometry report revealed that about 38% of Americans don’t have an optometrist and miss out on beneficial routine vision exams. See what happens during them.

Key Elements of an Eye Exam

A comprehensive eye exam features critical components, including:

• Vision testing: Puts a patient through vision tests to see if they need eyeglasses or contact lenses to get great vision
• Glaucoma testing: Performs a dilated eye exam to examine a patient’s optic nerve
• Wellness examinations: Looks at different parts of a patient’s eyes, like the cornea

Recommended Frequency of Eye Exams

The American Optometric Association releases guidelines on how often people need eye exams. The AOA’s current guidelines suggest that Americans over 18 should arrange annual exams with eye doctors.

There has also been a push for more infants to have eye exams. Additionally, the AOA advises those at risk for eye conditions, such as people with diabetes, the elderly, and anyone with a family history of eye issues, to have their eyes checked annually.

At-Home Preventative Eye Care Tips

In addition to providing patients with preventative eye care, you should provide guidance about the next steps they can take at home to focus on caring for their eyes and dealing with health-related stress.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Only about 50% of Americans eat well-balanced diets. If your practice’s patients don’t eat right, it could affect their eyes. Encourage them to eat foods containing eye-friendly nutrients like:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

Let patients know about the positive impact of exercising and staying hydrated on their eyes.

Protecting Eyes Daily

Everything from the sun’s UV rays to blue light from screens can cause eye trouble. Push patients to wear sunglasses and speak about spending less time in front of screens or at least wearing blue-light glasses.

Addressing Eye Health Concerns With an Eye Doctor

With state-of-the-art equipment, routine eye care can help your optometry practice’s patients monitor serious eye conditions. Learn more about them.

Managing Chronic Conditions at Medical Practices

The National Eye Institute says dry eye disease affects about 16 million Americans. It can cause irritation, light sensitivity, and other symptoms.

Your practice can help patients diagnose and control dry eyes by prescribing medications and determining other treatment options, such as artificial tears. You can also send them dry eye disease questionnaires.

Your office can also help manage conditions like diabetic retinopathy. According to the CDC, it affects 10 million Americans and can cause blurry vision, floaters, and redness.

Recognizing Symptoms Early

Spotting the signs of common eye conditions can prevent them from damaging patients’ eyes. Tell patients to make appointments if they experience:

• Flashing lights
• Eye pain
• Blurry vision

Seeking medical attention from an eye doctor can reduce eye disease risk for patients.

Integrating Preventative Care with Weave’s Solutions

If your optometry practice plans to offer more preventive care services, Weave can help. Here’s how.

Enhancing Patient Communication

Remind patients about annual eye exams with Weave’s communication tools. They’ll make calling patients, emailing patients, and texting patients easier. Weave can even automate reminders and follow-up communications to improve patient compliance.

Streamlining Appointment Scheduling

Weave can streamline your practice’s scheduling process with an online scheduling system. They can also supply you with digital forms and billing to ensure patients respond well to this process.

See How Weave Can Help Your Practice Provide Preventative Eye Care Services

Offering new protocols for preventative eye care to your patients can help them avoid serious eye health issues. It can also enable your practice to connect more with patients during each procedure you perform.

Weave is here to help your practice. Get a demo of Weave’s solutions to support your practice and improve patient care.