By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Monday, April 26, 2021 12:00 AM
NEW YORK—The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled much change and many health care-related issues and business shifts. But shutdowns, stay-at-home, work-from-home, school-from home, virtual meetings and entertainment, along with cultural changes, have also expedited many new behaviors and attitudes toward technology among consumers of all ages. As a result, patients’ expectations of what constitutes a next-level type of experience with retailers and vision care providers (actually, all types of health care providers) has been one of the first and most visible impacts of the pandemic on business of all types.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:59 AM
ReVision Optometry, the San Diego, California practice of Dr. Brian Chou, is one of the first practices in the U.S. to use TOP (Touchless Optical Platform), a proprietary app developed by Topology that enables opticians to precisely measure patients, either in-store or at home, to ensure an exact fit of their eyeglasses. Optician Cindi Geib described some of system’s key features, and what she and her patients like about it.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:58 AM
Bard Optical, an optical retail chain that operates 21 stores in central Illinois, has been using ACEP’s Smart Mirror system for several years. Company vice president, Mick Hall, first learned about ACEP’s Smart Mirror system during a visit with another retailer that belongs to the same information sharing group as Bard.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:57 AM
Eye Eye Eye is owned and operated by Kamran Khan, a veteran optician with 30 years of experience. An optical boutique specializing in independent, upper end lines, Eye Eye Eye attracts patients who are looking for something a bit different. Most recently, that differentiator has been Spark Mi Up, a touchless measuring device that looks like an ordinary tabletop mirror, yet allows ECPs to take all required measurements with just a few clicks, while keeping patients at a safe distance.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:56 AM
In Central New York State’s Oneida County, New Hartford Eye Associates, a Vision Source practice, has succeeded in cultivating a great reputation among the customers and patients in the markets it serves. For four years, the practice has won the Best Optometrists designation from local media, its doctors and staff creating a destination for patients in the upstate region. Denys Meade, New Hartford’s practice manager for 15 years, has started to embrace new types of technology.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:55 AM
Joel Wolf was an early adopter of Optikam, one of the pioneers of digital measurement. Now, after more than a decade, he continues to rely on the system, which has evolved into a complete dispensing solution that helps ECPs assist patients at all stages of the eyewear dispensing process.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:54 AM
Clear View Vision Care leverages the latest vision technology to differentiate itself from its competitors. Owner Dr. Jeffrey Martin and his staff employ a full range of Zeiss equipment to provide patients with a highly personalized experience. The latest addition to their armamentarium is the Zeiss Visufit 1000, a digital centration system that captures 3D measurements and offers virtual try-on of frames.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:52 AM
Dr. Thomas Gosling is a longtime Hoya customer who is a proponent of the company’s dispensing technology. He uses the HVC Viewer, an iPad app with interactive, augmented reality features, to show patients how they will see with different lenses before wearing them. Using Hoya Spectangle, Dr. Gosling or optician Marc Petersen take position of wear measurements that can be used to customize the patient’s prescription.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Sunday, April 25, 2021 11:51 AM
Dr. Shazeen Ali, Ranch Road Vision Source, has served as a dedicated provider of quality vision services and products to Austin, Steiner Ranch, Anderson Hill, and the surrounding Texas areas since 2015. She is a therapeutic optometrist specializing in primary eyecare and certified as an optometric glaucoma specialist. She has adopted several digital technologies in both her exam room and in the dispensary as well as helping connect with patients online before and after they visit the practice.
By Marge Axelrad and Andrew Karp
Monday, June 19, 2017 12:30 AM
NEW YORK—See if any of these scenarios sound familiar: An optician sends a patient’s frame from their frame wall to an outside lab. The lab waits for days for the frame to arrive. The Rx lens choice for a progressive with AR coating is communicated to the lab. Meanwhile, the patient waits, impatiently, for the glasses to arrive and worries if they’ll receive them in time for their family’s summer vacation.