Out-of-the-Box Office Marketing

HOT TOPIC

Inside the Minds of Patients With DED

In a recent survey of 754 adults with dry eye disease (DED), patients reported being willing and likely to rest their eyes, consume more water, and use a warm compress to reduce their symptoms. Researchers investigated the barriers and facilitators for patients with DED in the United States to make environmental and behavioral modifications.

The researchers conducted an anonymous online survey of adults with DED, identified through the Dry Eye Foundation, Sjögren Foundation, and a large dry eye clinic in Colorado. Most respondents were 18 to 49 years of age (67%), female (68%), White (76%), and reported dealing with DED for less than 5 years (67%). The most frequent modifications used by the respondents included taking regular breaks to rest their eyes (68%), increasing water intake (68%), and using hot or cold compresses (52%).

Socioeconomic status was irrelevant to patients' barriers to implementing these modifications. According to the researchers, “Although one may hypothesize that individuals with financial insecurity or in underpaid jobs may have less flexibility in taking breaks to rest their eyes, we did not observe socioeconomic status-related differences in the frequency with which respondents reported taking breaks to rest [their] eyes or the extent to which they experienced barriers to or facilitators in doing so.

The study researchers concluded that greater emphasis should be placed on explaining to patients how environmental and behavioral modifications might mitigate DED. They also suggested that members of the patients’ support system should be educated on how to best support them in managing their DED symptoms.

My Two Cents

Patients want their dry eye symptoms alleviated. However, many of our patients are not as educated as we are, nor are they trained to resolve health issues. Sometimes, the simplest things must be explained to them (often over and over again). These things, such as using a warm compress, taking breaks from digital devices, and drinking more water—or better yet, Dry Eye Drink 😉 —can dramatically improve their symptoms and quality of life. Consider creating a handout for your patients with DED that offers them these simple suggestions. It could go a long way in helping them!

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Leading Cause of Disability Worldwide Is Neurologic in Nature

According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, disorders affecting the nervous system are now the leading cause of ill health and disability globally, affecting 3.4 billion people worldwide.

Neurologic conditions were the top contributor to global disease burden in 2021, affecting an astonishing 43.1% of the world’s population, ahead of cardiovascular diseases. This excluded stroke from the cardiovascular category, as it was considered a neurologic condition. According to the researchers, “Stroke is the top global contributor to neurological health loss.” Globally, 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were responsible for 443 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 11.1 million deaths in 2021.

The 10 conditions with the highest age-standardized DALYs worldwide were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurologic complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorders, and nervous systems cancers.

The study estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and DALYs by age and sex in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Overall, global DALYs increased by 18.2% from 375 million in 1990, but age-standardized rates of DALYs and death per 100,000 decreased by 27% and 33.6%, respectively.

The analysis emphasizes the importance of prevention by addressing modifiable risk factors, given that many neurologic conditions do not have a cure. Interestingly, the fastest-growing neurologic condition was diabetic neuropathy, which mirrors the global rise in diabetes. (Read more here.)

My Two Cents

Well, this makes sense. I would have expected neurologic conditions to be the primary culprit of disability globally, and this systemic analysis seems to back that up. I will say, however, that the statistic that 43.1% of the world’s population has a neurologic condition seems almost unbelievable. It will be interesting to see if additional studies and research support these data. With these statistics, it’s good to know we have some talented people in our field who are interested in the neuro aspect of optometry, as they will surely see some of these patients.

CAN YOU RELATE

Marketing. It’s both challenging and vital to a practice’s growth and success. This past weekend was St. Patrick’s Day, and in typical southern Louisiana form, there was partying and parades—big, huge, loud parades with thousands of people in attendance. The Baton Rouge St. Patrick’s Day parade could give most New Orleans Mardi Gras parades a run for their money. Many call it the best day in Baton Rouge.

This year, more than 80 large floats traversed the route, throwing their beads, stuffed animals, footballs, and anything else you can imagine. One of those large floats was the Williamson Eye Center float. Talk about a captivated audience! People clamored for Williamson-branded sunglasses, beads, plastic cups, and more. Our superstar Marketing Director, Amber, hit this out of the park. We had more than 60 doctors, employees, and their significant others on the float, and it ended up being almost as much of a team-building event as a marketing event.

Your practice probably isn’t in a party and parade hotbed like southern Louisiana, but let this serve as an example that some of the best marketing ideas involve out-of-the-box ideas that you typically wouldn’t think of as an opportunity for an eye clinic. Get out there and get present in your community! Bonus points if it involves an excellent time for your staff and doctors!

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Ultrawide-field view of a scleral buckle.

Paul Hammond, OD, FAAO, @kmkoptometrypro

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

— Albert Einstein