Aesthetics is a growing opportunity for optometrists, and 57% of the respondents to a recent Pop-up Poll say that they have implemented aesthetic services, either as part of their dry eye treatment area or as a standalone service. One-third of the respondents said they do not offer aesthetic services. The remaining 10% said that they are working on implementation or have already acquired some equipment but haven’t officially begun. WO/ROB Pop-up Poll This Pop-up Poll was out in late April and early May and was sent to readers of Women In Optometry and Review of Optometric Business. Slightly mo ..read more

Isabelle “Izzy” Ampe When Isabelle “Izzy” Ampe dissected a lamb’s eyeball in middle school, she immediately wanted to know more. She had never needed vision correction in her life, and had only seen an eye doctor once, but she was “fascinated by how small everything was, yet how big of an impact it makes in our daily lives.” Ampe has now turned that interest into a career path as she finishes up her second year at Midwestern University Chicago College of Optometry as class president. LEARNING IN THE EXAM LANE Ampe’s curiosity in the mechanics of the eye blossomed when she started working as an ..read more

Dr. Denton uses Lumenis’ intense pulsed light equipment to help her patients with dry eye. In 2016, when Melanie Denton Dombrowski, OD, MBA, FAAO, opened Salisbury Eyecare and Eyewear in Salisbury, North Carolina, her to-do list included building a practice that focused heavily on dry eye and aesthetics. “In the first few years of having a practice, however, my focus was on keeping the lights on and seeing as many patients as I could,” she recalls. Then came COVID-19. “I was four years into practice, and that was the moment when I decided to reassess what I wanted this practice to be. I knew I ..read more

Retailing and marketing expert Liza Amlani In this two-part WO Voices podcast, Liza Amlani, principal and founder of Retail Strategy Group, says that there is an opportunity for in both the online and brick-and-mortar space to build your practice brand as a one-stop-shop for fashion and optical needs. “I think that this is where you can get really creative.” The post What’s the Difference Between Retailing and Marketing? appeared first on Women In Optometry ..read more

Dr. Wooten Sunshine headaches are definitely an issue in Arizona, says Allison Wooten, OD, owner of four practices in Scottsdale. “It’s been frustrating not having a solution for my patients who suffer from migraine and light sensitivity,” she says. When she first heard about Avulux Migraine and Light Sensitivity Lenses, she was skeptical. Avulux optical technology filters blue, amber, and red light, while letting soothing green light in. These lenses are the only clinically proven lenses that precisely filter light to help people living with migraine. But she’s part of the Opti-Port alliance ..read more

Read more about what ECPs can do to help patients with migraine and photophobia here. Image courtesy of Avulux. More than 80% of people with migraine have light sensitivity. Light is taken in through the patient’s eyes and affects cells on the retina at the back of the eye, including intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC). That plays a role in regulating how the patient responds to bright light situations, regulating the body’s melatonin production and affecting migraine pain level. Light sensitivity can be addressed with migraine glasses. A study in 2016 found that blue ..read more

Image courtesy of Avulux. Photophobia is an intolerance to light. Research conducted into light sensitivity and pain over the past decade sheds new light on this connection. In particular, researchers found the specific cells that play a role in causing pain to those experiencing light sensitivity – they are called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), and namely melanopsin-secreting cells at the retina. Scientists also discovered that these photoreceptors are most affected by certain specific wavelengths of light in the visible light spectrum. SOME COLORS OF LIGHT CAN ..read more

Learn more here. Image courtesy of Avulux. 15% of the people in the U.S. live with migraine. 24% of people living with migraine report headaches so severe they have sought emergency room care. 51% of people with migraine report at least a 50 percent reduction in work or school productivity, and 66 percent report at least a 50 percent reduction in household productivity. Migraine is a complex genetic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of severe headache, often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and visual disturbances. And i ..read more

Image courtesy of Avulux There are many great reasons to prescribe Avulux Migraine and Light Sensitivity lenses through your practice – it’s a novel sub-specialty, it’s easy to implement, and it provides an opportunity to expand your service offerings. But best of all, it makes you a hero, because you can address the suffering experienced by patients living with migraine. And, incorporating Avulux lenses is rewarding and a proven way to drive referrals. Read the details and learn more here. Read more stories from Avulux here. The post Be a Hero to Your Patients With Migraines appeared first on ..read more

5-Star Google reviews are awesome. But are you counting on those as a reflection of patient satisfaction? Loading… Have a poll idea? Curious about something?  Check out past WO polls and responses here. Featured photo credit: Getty Images, Muhamad Chabib alwi The post Do You Measure Patient Satisfaction? appeared first on Women In Optometry ..read more