How to Use Social Media for Optical Professionals

If you are not using social media to promote your practice you may be thinking… why? how? Well – there is a lot of power in developing a social media presence to a) help people find you and b) establish you as an expert in a niche market. In fact, social media has been a topic that I have discussed in the past on this blog (5 Reasons Why Social Media Can Help Promote Your Optical Practice – June 6, 2011 ).

Developing a social media presence as a medical professional is especially powerful, as medical terms and questions are one of the most frequently searched topics on the Internet. When people are looking for on-line medical advice, most are savvy enough to check the authenticity of the source.  Publishing content on-line as a legitimate optometrist or ophthalmologist makes the content more credible than a lot of other material on-line.

When you set off to begin your social media campaign, it helps to have some role models to study and motivate you along.  Three doctors who have set the gold standard for creating on-line campaigns are Kevin Pho, MD, Howard Luks, MD and Deanna Attai, MD. Their high profile on-line has helped their practices flourish.

1) Kevin Pho, MD: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/  is a Nashua, N.H. based internist who started his blog in 2004.  In the past nine years it has become one of the most popular medical blogs.  His high public profile has led to frequent radio, TV and conference guest appearances.

2) Howard Luks, MD: http://www.howardluksmd.com is an Hawthorne, N.Y. based orthopedic surgeon who advocates for medical professionals to establish a social media presence. His is another very popular medial blog.

3) Deanna Attai, MD: http://www.drattai.com  is a breast surgeon who has created a dynamic web site and strong social presence.  Her web site has become a go-to resource for the breast cancer community.

When establishing an on-line presence it’s important to tread carefully.  Any information that you post must be accurate, as it can always be traced back to you. Also – keep in mind doctor / patient confidentiality.  When patients reach out for specific advice, its best to encourage them to visit your office rather than doling out advice on-line.

Becoming an expert and a go-to resource in the optical field is not rocket science.  It’s a matter of consistently producing interesting and relevant content and publishing it through the multiple social media channels.

http://healthworkscollective.com/node/31974
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57579418/doctors-told-to-procede-with-extreme-caution-on-social-media/

6x Dissectible Eye Model

In the 2013 Amcon catalog, we introduced a few new products that are designed to be used as patient teaching tools in the office: The 6X Dissectible Eye Model, the “Eye” poster and the “Understanding Glaucoma” poster. These teaching materials are valuable resources for an optical practice as they help the patient understand how their eye works and how diseases are affecting their eye(s).

Patient education has been shown to help disease prevention in that it offers a way to control a medical problem before it gets out of hand. For example, if a patient understands the symptoms of glaucoma, she can identify her own condition before it becomes too severe.

Understanding Glaucoma

Patient education also helps the physician, hospitals and insurance companies.  Post-procedure hospital stays are becoming shorter and patients are more responsible for their follow-up care.  Negligent post-op care may result in the patient requiring more medical attention.

When it comes to patient education materials, they are not all created equal.  Patients have varied levels of literacy, so visuals are often a more effective way to communicate than printed pieces or even verbal explanation. Amcon’s new patient education materials are clear and detailed.

Have a look at Amcon’s new teaching tools.  We hope these help you better educate your patients.

Eye: Anterior & Posterior Chambers

http://www.parklandhospital.com/patients_visitors/health_information/pdf/gdl%20teaching%20ll.pdf

http://suite101.com/article/the-importance-of-patient-education-a123056

Retailing Dollars with Amcon’s OptiPRO Line Pre-pack Display is Now Available.

Hopefully, this week you received your brand new 2013 Amcon product catalog. If you open the front cover you will get an introduction to one of our newest items, the OptiPRO pre-packed display especially designed for retailing optical supplies.

This new, sturdy, rotating counter display is stocked with 74 retail-friendly items and designed to generate over $600 in retail sales.

A great amount of time and research went into coming up with the design and configuration of this display.  We wanted to offer our customers a display that was compact and could fit easily on a counter top, while maximizing the product space.  We also wanted our customers to be able to easily restock items as they depleted.

In researching displays, we saw a lot of cheap and flimsy displays.  After exhausting all of the pre-made display options, we decided to have one custom-made.  Our design is contemporary and made of sturdy wood with metal hooks that can be repositioned.

To refill the display, customers can choose from a variety of items in our catalog that come tagged to go right back on the display. Refill items can be purchased separately to make it easy to keep the display full.

We hope you like our new pre-pack counter-top retail display and hope that it leads to increased revenue for your optical practice.

The weather has been a little erratic lately. Here in the Midwest we’ve had 80 degree days followed by nights in the thirties. Spring rain has begun and we, along with others, are experiencing rising rivers and flooding. On top of all those events, allergies are ramping up.

Trees are budding, dandelions are popping out in golden glory and mold is multiplying. If you suffer from nasal allergies you most likely suffer with eye allergies too. Some common irritants include: dust, grass, weeds perfumes, makeup and chemicals. Even contact lenses can cause  a sensitivity called Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis. Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis can create eye discharge and redness and is usually associated with a reaction to protein build-up on contact lenses.

The list of allergens is long and varied, but whether you experience mild or severe reactions, some ways to help ease eye discomfort is to:

• Keep your eyes moist with appropriate drops. Use lubricant-type drops instead of ones that just help reduce redness.
• Apply cold, wet compresses
• Rinse eyes with eye wash
• Keep your fingers away from your eyes and try not to rub them. Rubbing only aggravates them.
• Protecting the eyes can be a useful tool, so wear sunglasses anytime you are outside.
• If you wear contacts, clean them frequently
• Wear regular glasses instead of contacts during the allergy season

According to Forbes, in 2012, a few cities that were the least effected by allergens included Portland, Oregon and Daytona Beach Florida. If you happen to reside in those areas, you may be in luck during the allergy season. For the rest of us, however, using some of the tricks above may be just the ticket we need to help soothe our eyes from those invisible triggers.

Amcon’s Vista Naps

If you wear contact lenses and are not familiar with Amcon’s Vista Naps – it’s about time that you get to know them.  Vista Naps are a premoistened, antimicrobial towelette that are formulated to cleanse hands of nicotine, cosmetics and oily residue before handling contact lenses.

So maybe you are thinking – but I wash my hands before I put in my contact lenses – why would I need Vista Naps?  Unfortunately not all methods of hand cleansing are created equal – especially when it comes to putting little piece of flimsy plastic in your eyes.  Clean hands can be problematic when inserting contact lenses as soap residue can get into your eye via your contact lens and – Oh my Lord – does it BURN!

Maybe you are thinking that Vista Naps sound a lot like our renowned optical hand scrub, Vista Prep. If so – then – DING DING DING – you are correct about that. Both product have a similar formation just a different method of delivery. In fact, the impetus for redesigning the Vista Naps packaging was to visually relate the Vista Naps to the Vista Prep line.

Vista Naps are different from Vista Prep because they are individually packaged which makes them easy to always have on hand.

Vista Naps are a great retail item for optical practitioners.  Optical professionals can retail Vista Naps in their practice to encourage proper handling and care of contact lenses, help patients avoid eye irritations and infections, and earn a few extra retail dollars for the office.

Reading in low light is not bad for your eyes

Last week, I told you all about an article I discovered in the most recent issue of Real Simple magazine: “Ten Tips for Healthy Eyes.” In addition to these ten tips, the writer also discussed a few “myths” about common behaviors and responded as to whether there was any validity to them.

Myth #1: Reading in low light – does it cause damage to your eyes?

Answer: No. In fact, it may be just the opposite.  Reading in low light can actually strengthen the ocular muscle and keep your vision shaper, longer.

Myth #2: Waiting to get a strong enough contact lens or glasses prescription after your eyes change – is it bad for your eyes?

Answer: Not necessarily. Wearing glasses or contacts that are too weak will not hurt your eyes. But, consider why you need stronger glasses or contacts. A change in your prescription could indicate a more serious problem, and you should visit your eye doctor to find out.

Myth #3: Using redness reducing drops – are they addicting?

Answer: Yes.  Redness removal drops are initially effective by helping to restrict the blood vessels in the eyes, but when the effect wears out your eyes will become even redder.  Instead of using redness removal drops, artificial tears are a better solution to relieve irritation.

So there you have it.  Sometimes there are truths behind the rumors, and sometimes there are not. But, isn’t it nice to know it’s okay to read in bed with a flashlight?

Don’t put your contact in your mouth or under tap water before you put them in your eyes.

This month Real Simple magazine published an article in their health guide about ten ways to take better care of your eyes. The justification they made for focusing on the eyes was that according to a 2012 survey by the American Optometric Association more than half the population value their eyesight more than their memory or their ability to walk. If we value or eyesight so much, then shouldn’t we take steps to take better care of our eyes?

Here are their ten suggestions for taking better care of your eyes.

1) Keep screens at a distance. Glare from screens can cause eyestrain. Reduce time at your computer screen, hold screens on handheld devices farther away from your eyes, or invest in an anti-glare filter for your computer monitor.
2) Blink frequently. Your eyelids are like windshield wipers, and blinking spreads tears over the eye and prevents them from drying out.
3) Wear sunglasses. UV light can deteriorate your vision.
4) Eat more seafood. Fish oils contain antioxidants that help prevent damage from free radicals.
5) Eat more greens. Leafy greens contain leutin and zeaxanthin which reduce the stressful effects of glare and exposure to light because they absorb some of that light.
6) Sleep more. Sleeping helps you produce more tears which helps defend the eye’s tissues from cataracts.
7) Take care of your contacts. Remove your contacts before sleeping and only use appropriate contact lens solutions to clean and store your contacts.
8) Dispose of old makeup after three months.  Bacteria grows all over old brushes and makeup.
9) Wear goggles.  2.5 million ocular injuries occur each year.  Don’t be a statistic.
10) See a doctor. Some conditions can be prevented if addressed early.

None of these suggestions came as much of a surprise to me as we have discussed some of these issues in the past, however, it always serves as a good reminder and to reinforce the important habits that lead to good ocular health

Amcon’s new wraparound sunglasses: The Haven

Hello from Stowe, Vermont!  While it is officially spring and what the locals call “mud season” due to all of the snow melt and  muddy conditions, there are still large swaths and mounds of snow everywhere.  Vermont got A LOT of snow this year  which made it possible to ski even at this late point in the season. And it was actually pretty pleasant to not be freezing on the  mountain.  In fact, it was so sunny and clear that it was tempting to ski without any goggles.

Bad idea.

From my years of skiing experience – I have learned (sometimes the hard way) how easy it is to get sun burned.   The combination of being at a high altitude while surrounded by snow leads to a great deal of sun exposure.  In fact, the amount of sun exposure is so extreme that “an hour on the snow can be harder on your eyes than an afternoon at the beach.”

Here’s why:  Snow reflects approximately 80% of the sun’s rays.  Therefore your eyes receive a lot more light on a clear day where the ground is covered with snow than on a clear day when the ground is covered by grass, mud, astroturf, concrete, etc…

The best way to protect your eyes is to not only wear sunglasses, but sunglasses with wraparound protection.  Wraparound sunglasses have been shown to reduce snow blindness because they provide more thorough protection from the sun’s rays.   (Looking for Wraparound Sunglasses to retail to your patients?  Check out Amcon’s new line of wraparound sunglasses: the Haven Fits Over Sunglasses).

Yes – I realize that soon the snow will be gone.  But knowing that your should be wearing your sunglasses year round may help you justify an investment in a better pair of sunglasses.

http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Ten_Ways_to_Protect_Your_Eyes_During_Snow_Season_a2128.html

Amcon at Vision Expo East

Amcon at Vision Expo East

The Amcon team has made it back safely from Vision Expo East in New York City after three very busy days of exhibiting at the show.  Here’s what was buzzing in the Amcon booth.

• New Frame Storage Trays. Visitors were very excited about out new  8  &  6 cavity frame trays. These frame trays look super high-end and are perfect for storing and presenting frames to customers.
• Lid Cleanser. Visitors were also very interested in the new lid cleanser we brought in, especially the fact it is not available in stores. There was also a lot of enthusiasm about the fact that it is preservative free. We gave out a lot of samples.
• Optipro Pre-packed Displays  The new Optipro pre-packed display also attracted a lot of attention.  Amcon customers were very excited about the possibility of bringing in more retail dollars via the use of this sleek new pre-packed display.

One of our newer sales reps remarked:

It was my first time doing the Expo. It was a lot of hard work & as tired as I was I didn’t want to leave the booth & miss a sale.

It wasn’t all work and no play in New York. The Amcon reps did get a chance to enjoy a bit of New York.

We went to Landmark restaurant in Time Warner for the second year in a row and it never seems to disappoint us.  We all LOVED our meals and the appetizers are very tasty!

It was great getting to see all of you in New York. See you next year!

The Amcon video premieres at Vision Expo East.  Check it out on YouTube:  http://youtu.be/3P0vwfruXXA

As I write this blog post, many of my colleagues are hard at work in the Amcon booth at Vision Expo East at the Javitz Center in New York City.  This year we made a new addition to our booth –  a large, flat screen monitor that is playing a video all about Amcon.

We made the decision to integrate the monitor and video only a few weeks ago, so we were on a very tight production schedule to get it done.  Fortunately – all reports from Vision Expo are that the video is running great and is attracting some attention.  Wonderful news, because it took A LOT of work to get to this point.  We put in copious amounts of time thinking about our message, visuals, look/feel, etc… up  until that last minute when we had to hand off the flash drive holding the final draft of the video to the last group departing for New York.  (Actually – they were waiting to leave for the airport until the video finished rendering out).

Many thanks to Jake, our graphics production man, who quickly transitioned into a full-time motion-graphics/video editor.  He put in a ton of hours on this project, and lost some sleep worrying about it.  Thank you, Jake!  Anyway – assuming that many of you did not get a chance to see the video at the Amcon booth in New York this past week – here’s a look! 

More news from Vision Expo next week!