Blood sugar control issues are a growing problem not only in the U.S., but across the world. In fact, global numbers of blood sugar control issues are expected to increase by 46% over the next two decades. Often, it’s eye doctors that first identify patients with blood sugar control issues because the eyes are typically the first organs to show signs of concern.

How do you address these patients in your practice currently? Are you proud of your service(s) or do you think you could be doing more? Here are a few ways you can improve your patient care for blood sugar control issues as shared by Daniel Epshtein, OD, FAAO, in an article for Review of Optometric Business.

Get Equipped

To do the job correctly, you need the right tools. That’s why Dr. Epshtein’s first tip is to get the right equipment for your practice. He recommends a slit lamp, indirect ophthalmoscope, fundus photography, and/or OCT because they provide a deeper look into the eye, demonstrating changes to physiology that may not be visible or noticeable by the patient. However, these tests may not be the right combination for your practice. They can take up quite a bit of space in the testing lane and come with a substantial cost to the practice. Additionally, these tests identify damage already done vs. identifying patients who could benefit from early intervention.

Early Detection for Better Risk Management

Patients with or at risk for blood sugar control issues will often have sub-optimal macular pigment optical density (MPOD). Macular pigment is a protective layer built from dietary carotenoids found deep in the retina. Blood sugar control issues can impact the density or protectiveness of macular pigment, especially since it’s completely determined by what the patient ingests via diet or supplementation.

Identifying patients with suboptimal MPOD could be the first step in your new blood sugar control practice protocols, and you can do so quickly and easily with the Zx Pro™ from EyePromise®. This trusted, intuitive, and portable device directly measures MPOD using heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP), a well-documented non-invasive testing method. The Zx Pro provides a numerical value to associate with patients’ eye health on a scale of 0.0 (worst) to 1.0 (best), and its results are accurate, reliable, and repeatable.

Learn more about the Zx Pro MPOD measurement device.

Modifying MPOD for Your Blood Sugar Control Patients

For patients who want to increase their MPOD without affecting their normal blood sugar levels, prescribe EyePromise DVS. EyePromise DVS is a clinically proven eye health nutraceutical designed by experts to specifically support vision related to blood sugar control issues. In an FDA registered clinical trial, participants taking DVS saw:

• 31% increase in MPOD
• 21% improvement in color vision
• 19% increase in contrast sensitivity
• 12% improvement in peripheral vision
• Additional health benefits extending beyond the eyes
• No impact on blood glucose control

Learn more about EyePromise DVS from the developer himself, A. Paul Chous, MA, OD, FAAO.

Train Your Staff

If you’re going to update your practice protocols, your staff must be in the loop. It’s best to keep them apprised of updates as you consider them so you can make the best decisions for all the parties involved. On top of the additions added to their day-to-day, staff members also need to know what their new expectations will be.

For example, Dr. Epshtein’s staff is expected to ask patients with blood sugar control issues for their primary care physician’s (PCP) address, phone number, and fax number so that the practice can keep them in the loop. Additionally, he also expects his team to gather an accurate patient history related to blood sugar control issues (i.e., what type, last glucose reading, etc.).

You may want your staff to run the MPOD exam with the Zx Pro. Make sure they understand when you want the exam administered (at what point in the visit), where you want them to administer it (testing lane, exam room, etc.), and who should take the exam (every patient over 21, just those with risk factors for eye health issues, etc.). Finally, if you prescribe an EyePromise nutraceutical like DVS, they should ask for the prescription at the handoff.

Build Your Referral System

As mentioned above, Dr. Epshtein’s staff are trained to gather PCP information of patients with blood sugar control issues. This is to provide routine and continuous communication with their doctor to keep them informed of the care patients are receiving and the therapies they were prescribed. Keeping this communication timely and thorough for the PCP or referring doctor helps build a good reputation in the channel and can help increase the number of referrals received via word of mouth.

Additionally, you can actively connect with the PCPs in the area surrounding your practice and let them know about the services you are (or will be) offering related to blood sugar control issues. Making these connections can keep your practice top-of-mind for these practitioners, simplifying their referral process and expediting your referral growth. You can also ask your patients to leave reviews for you and your practice and to refer their family and friends, even if they don’t have blood sugar control issues.

Are you addressing patients with blood sugar control issues to the best of your ability? If not, you could miss out on a critical patient care service and practice revenue, but just a few changes to your protocols could upgrade your services. Partnering with EyePromise can make this transition easy and lucrative. Have your local EyePromsie Regional Account Manager contact you to learn more about MPOD measurement and DVS now!