Vision was voted Americans’ most coveted sense. When that sense begins to fade, it can take a serious toll on your patients’ daily lives. Macular pigment acts as a pair of internal sunglasses, shielding the eyes from possible damage and protecting their precious sight. Healthy macular pigment optical density (MPOD) is imperative to maintaining visual function into later years, and an accurate measurement of patient MPOD is paramount for evaluating overall eye health. Incorporating MPOD measurement in-practice will not only add an extra revenue stream, but it will also establish your practice as a beacon of education and proactive eye care.

The QuantifEye® MPS II

Being proactive with your patients’ eye health only works if your testing instrument is accurate, repeatable and reliable. The industry-standard MPOD measurement instrument, the QuantifEye MPS II, is a device that uses heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP) technology. Proven to have good repeatability at 97%, this instrument takes about 2-3 minutes per patient and includes intuitive technology with icon-driven menus and enhanced reports for staff members and patients. In-practice demonstrations and training allow you and your staff to understand the test and the instrument before using it daily, and though it does not require daily calibration, its technology is fully supported through EyePromise.

Studies continue to show the accuracy and reliability of the QuantifEye MPS II, including:

• Case Report of Dietary Supplements Improving Macular Pigment and Visual Function (Herman, Kleiner-Goudey, Davis – Advances in Ophthalmology and Visual System: January, 2017)
• The Value of Measurement of Macular Carotenoid Pigment Optical Densities and Distributions in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Bernstein, et. al. – Vision Research, 2010)
• Desktop Macular Pigment Optical Density Measurement: A New Approach Based on Heterochromatic Flicker Photometry (Berendschot, et. al. – E, volume 25)

Practice Benefits of Measuring MPOD with the QuantifEye MPS II

MPOD measurement provides a valuable income source for the practice. It also adds accountability and monitoring capabilities to your current nutritional therapies like supplementation. It can become a continuous source of profit by increasing patient compliance with nutraceuticals and encouraging follow-up visits for retests.

“In our constantly changing medical world, our practice continues to work diligently, introducing new products that our doctor researches and feels will benefit our patients… We have included the MPOD testing as a free additional screening test to all our exams…having [an MPOD score] and the [EyePromise MPOD] guarantee that this number will improve makes the [EyePromise nutraceuticals and QuantifEye tests] very easy to sell. Our practice has seen remarkable revenue increases.” - Nancy Bello, Executive Practice Director

Along with monetary value, the QuantifEye MPS II features the newest technology, ensuring accurate and reliable testing results. Having access to innovative and proactive testing makes it simple for patients to choose and stay with a practice. MPOD measurement allows eye care professionals to move away from simply managing symptoms and “making the best” of declining eye health. Practices that have testing abilities can stake a claim in early detection of risk, giving hope and confidence to patients and giving them a reason to keep coming back.

“I am so impressed with the results of taking [EyePromise]. My original score from the [MPOD] test was .2. in 2015. My score this year is .77. My doctor was also very pleased. The highest score that can be achieved is .99. I’m anxious to see what my score will be in 2018.” - Mary S.

The typical reaction in society now is to check the internet for information. MPOD measurement can give eye doctors a springboard to open conversations and be their patients’ source of information, properly explaining each problem or solution and helping them to choose the best course of action. Patients can have peace of mind understanding exactly what risks and options they have.

“The peer reviewed science is clear: low MPOD is associated with signs of [age-related eye health], while high MPOD may be protective against deterioration of the macula. A quick, easy, accurate, noninvasive assessment with the QuantifEye MPS II makes it possible for me to assess a patient's risk, as well as monitor effects of nutritional therapy. MPOD is the new IOP. Just as measuring IOP helps us identify patients at risk for glaucoma, MPOD performs a similar function for [age-related eye health issues].” - Joseph Pizzimenti, OD

These possible eye health problems indicated by low MPOD can seem like an older generation concern, but younger crowds can benefit from measurement as well.

“I saw a college softball player, and she was having a lot of difficulty hitting… Her eyes appeared totally healthy - no media opacities, regular corneal curvature, normal looking retinas. Finally, I performed an MPOD measurement, which was atrociously low at 0.05. I started her on EyePromise Restore… about 3 months later she was on my schedule again, and when I walked into the exam room, she had the biggest smile ever. She told me that for the first time ever, she could see the rotation of the softball and her hitting average had greatly improved… I re-checked her MPOD, which was now 0.32… These changes blew me away and really underscored the importance of asking patients about the quality of their vision, as well as checking macular pigment, even in apparently totally healthy, young patients.” - Paul Chous, OD, FAAO

After including MPOD testing in your routine eye exams, you can worry less about shuffling money towards attracting new patients. Existing patients will start to schedule more follow-up visits to retest their MPOD scores and, eventually, send more referrals because they will trust in your practice and the positive changes they see.

“The good will we are generating due to proactively responding to patients’ needs and offering them the latest in technology is certainly coming back in additional referrals.” - Glenda Secor, OD, FAAO

Measuring MPOD is quickly becoming a staple in optometric practices across the country. Patients appreciate the forward-thinking mentality of measuring for risk, while practices will benefit from increased revenue and referrals. The QuantifEye MPS II gives eye care professionals an affordable, reliable, in-practice measurement instrument that is fast and noninvasive. Dr. Gary Morgan encourages “all optometrists to add this technology to their practice. It provides a valuable service to your patients; it garners referrals; it provides a cutting-edge perception for your practice; and it produces a healthy revenue stream.”

“I believe that the newest iteration of [the QuantifEye] is currently the quickest (90 seconds/eye), most affordable and most clinically relevant device in the world. I commend [the inventor for his work], which has led to an efficient method of determining foveal [MPOD] in everyday optometric and ophthalmologic practice. I believe the technology [he has] developed will revolutionize the practice of eye care.” - Stuart Richer, OD