Summertime is usually a busy season for many people, and eye care is often not high on their to-do lists. However, the growing opportunities for tele-optometry could be the solution for the summertime “lull”. Mike Rothschild, OD, and Sukumar Pandit, OD, shared how they use tele-optometry to expand their reaches beyond their brick-and-mortar practices in an article for Review of Optometric Business.

What Is Tele-Optometry?

The definition of tele-optometry is “the practice of optometry when the doctor and the patient are not physically in the same place when the care is being provided.” It’s one more way for both patients and doctors to customize their eyecare. With this type of practice, Drs. Rothschild and Pandit stress that eye care professionals are maintaining the same level of liability and responsibility as they would if they saw patients in-person. Dr. Rothschild remarked,

“As the professional, we owe it to the patient to make sure the information that we collect is adequate to provide proper care.”

Why Tele-Optometry?

Telehealth surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many remained home to help stop the spread. Since then, it’s remained an avenue for patients to meet with healthcare providers on their own time in the comfort of their own home or wherever they may be (*cough* summer vacation *cough*). As Dr. Pandit explained,

“We have always worked in multiple locations to get to where the patients are. This gives us the chance to see a patient in California and Georgia within a few minutes, even if we are in the Northeast, or anywhere else.”

For Drs. Pandit and Rothschild, they elected to begin tele-optometry to extend their optometric expertise to  underserved communities. It helps them reach more rural communities that may not have an optometrist available, or even patients who are homebound or lack transportation. Overall, it allows them to provide a level of patient care that may not be as accessible to these populations.

What About Patient Care?

When it comes to tele-optometry (and telehealth in general), some worry that the level of patient care may suffer. Drs. Rothschild and Pandit assure those who are concerned that the responsibilities of the provider do not change from in-office to virtual. The expectation is that the level of care is the same regardless of location, but rather the data is gathered by staff if it’s a satellite office or via camera and questionnaire if it’s fully telemedicine.

With either option, it’s critical to have all the accurate information (i.e., test results, a clear picture of the eyes, etc.). Therefore, both patients and doctors need to have a good camera and a clear screen for tele-optometry to perform at its best. Telehealth is an excellent option for minor emergencies, saving emergency rooms for dire situations while still providing services to those in need.

How EyePromise® Works With Tele-Optometry

An EyePromise partnership helps you deliver personalized nutritional care from wherever you or your patients are. With your referral code, patients can purchase online while still crediting you with every order. This code also connects that patient’s purchases with your account, so you can check in on their regimen success. While online ordering with your personalized code is an excellent option, we recommend utilizing our Auto Refill Program for maximized success.

The Auto Refill Program (ARP) is a subscription-based program that delivers patients’ EyePromise prescriptions automatically timed with when they’ll need them. These shipments can go to their homes, offices, or anywhere they’d like, and the shipping address can be updated to meet their needs (i.e., for when snowbirds are at their summer locations). Finally, the ARP is the most cost-effective way for patients to get their EyePromise prescriptions, providing discounts on every monthly supply and free shipping with every order. If you enroll them through your practice’s ecommerce page that you gain access to after partnering with us, they’ll get their first month’s supply free.

Learn more about the benefits of the Auto Refill Program from Drs. Mick Kling and Jason Tu.

When considering tele-optometry for your practice, Dr. Pandit says, “Tele-optometry is not for everyone, and yet it is an alternate business model worth considering if it fits your business and practice model.” Have you considered telehealth for your practice? Let us know!