Patient Communication: Building Trust and a Continuity of Care

The fact that you are reading these pages means you have a vested interest in our profession and in your patients. You don’t simply show up to “work,” refract the patients sitting in your waiting room, fit some contact lenses, prescribe a few drops, then shut things down and go home for the night, only to repeat the whole process the next day. You strive to be better, both for your own personal edification, but also for the benefit of your patients. Good news: This series was designed with optometrists like you in mind.

We offer this EMPOWER: Business + Specialty Care Optometric Series to inspire optometrists with advanced knowledge and tools to elevate their practices and patient care. In each of the five parts of the series, two thought leaders tackle the chosen topic from different angles. Parts one and two of this series covered corneal health and the relevance of specialty lenses, as well as the optimization of contact lens wear, respectively. Future topics will focus on diagnostic tools for cornea health and practice optimization. As an added bonus, the authors of each article will also appear on an episode of The MOD Pod to discuss their topics in more detail.

PATIENTS: THE BACKBONE OF OPTOMETRY

Part three of this five-part business and specialty care optometric series concentrates on the patient—specifically communication and how essential it is to building trust and continuity of care. Paul Hammond, OD, FAAO, leads the discussion with his piece on how to maximize value for patients. Jessica O. Yu, OD, FAAO, FSLS, follows with her own perspective on patient communication as it relates to the continuum of care through the patient’s lifetime.

May the insights and information offered here support continued growth in your practice and enhanced patient outcomes.