Online eyeglasses

[blazenmadison]

A few patients called and asked for their PD so they can order eyeglasses online. We don't record their PD on the exam chart, so they would have to come into the optical and get it measured.

Does anyone charge for this service?

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[JMU07]

Yeah, a lot of places do. Check out Optiboard, they had a huge thread a few months ago about charging for PD. Haven't been there in a while but I'm sure you could find it!

 

[KHE]

Yeah, a lot of places do. Check out Optiboard, they had a huge thread a few months ago about charging for PD. Haven't been there in a while but I'm sure you could find it!

You may want to check with your state board. In some states, a PD measurement is supposed to be part of a standard exam, at least on new patients. Very very few practitioners do this of course, but it could potentially complicate your desire to charge for it. Most autorefractors also provide that measurement if you use one though people rarely note it in the record.

Secondly, I would advise against charging for that. The amount of ill will generated by doing so is going to FAR outweigh the $5 or $10 you can collect and patients are only going to (rightfully so) view it as their rich bastard eye doctor (even if you're not a rich bastard) trying to punish them for daring to get their glasses elsewhere.

In my opinion, it's a bush league practice to charge for that.

 

[JMU07]

You may want to check with your state board. In some states, a PD measurement is supposed to be part of a standard exam, at least on new patients. Very very few practitioners do this of course, but it could potentially complicate your desire to charge for it. Most autorefractors also provide that measurement if you use one though people rarely note it in the record.

Secondly, I would advise against charging for that. The amount of ill will generated by doing so is going to FAR outweigh the $5 or $10 you can collect and patients are only going to (rightfully so) view it as their rich bastard eye doctor (even if you're not a rich bastard) trying to punish them for daring to get their glasses elsewhere.

In my opinion, it's a bush league practice to charge for that.

I definitely agree with you. I was thinking about what I would do if I were the doc... and I don't think I'd charge for it. I also have no idea what the law is where I'm from (VA). Something to find out!

On the flip side - if you give it to your patient who wants to buy cheap glasses online (or if it's documented on their Rx, either way), and they order glasses and hate them/can't see/manage to shatter their lenses and become injured, are you at all responsible? Obviously you didn't have anything to do with the glasses but they got the info they needed from you.

 

[Commando303]

It's easy enough for anyone with a metric ruler and a mirror to figure out his or her P.D. If you get a telephone call about this, couldn't you just make such a suggestion?

 

[jefguth]

It's easy enough for anyone with a metric ruler and a mirror to figure out his or her P.D. If you get a telephone call about this, couldn't you just make such a suggestion?

This is what I do: Tell the patient that it is the responsibility of the ophthalmic dispenser to measure their PD. I never measure a PD myself, so its never in the record anyways. If they insist, I tell them that it is not something I'm very familiar with; I'm an eye doctor, not an optician.

 

[Commando303]

Again, why not just tell them to measure it themselves? This isn't a difficult or involved process — if a person has trouble doing it himself or herself, a friend very easily could take the reading for him or her. Is it somehow unthinkable an optometrist would be willing to share this information with someone?

 

[jefguth]

Again, why not just tell them to measure it themselves? This isn't a difficult or involved process — if a person has trouble doing it himself or herself, a friend very easily could take the reading for him or her. Is it somehow unthinkable an optometrist would be willing to share this information with someone?

I wouldn't do it because its my I have no interest in sharing in the responsibility for a possible online spec misadventure. First and foremost I personally believe in the value of professional services, and dispensing a quality pair of glasses is just that. If someone wants to order online, be my guest, but I'm not about to enable it in any way other than providing the prescription (just as I do for all my patients).

If they want to go down that road, be my guest, but they can do so at their own risk, I'm not providing any pointers along that way that might come back to bite me in the ass.

 

[KHE]

I wouldn't do it because its my I have no interest in sharing in the responsibility for a possible online spec misadventure. First and foremost I personally believe in the value of professional services, and dispensing a quality pair of glasses is just that. If someone wants to order online, be my guest, but I'm not about to enable it in any way other than providing the prescription (just as I do for all my patients).

If they want to go down that road, be my guest, but they can do so at their own risk, I'm not providing any pointers along that way that might come back to bite me in the ass.

I'm going to disagree with that.

A PD is not a measurement that can be transient like a refraction can be. As such, there's no "risk" in providing it to the patient. In fact, I would suggest that you'd be more out on a limb by simply telling the person to measure it themselves. If you want to provide "professional service" then it would seem to me that providing a PD measurement would fall into that category.

 

[PBEA]

totally disagree with you khe. PD is a measurement only used for glasses. If you want to get glasses elsewhere that is your prerogative, but that optical will have to measure your PD, seg, frame size, etc. That would be their responsibility. I wouldn't charge but that's only because I would not supply it. Why would anybody?

 

[PBEA]

Again, why not just tell them to measure it themselves? This isn't a difficult or involved process — if a person has trouble doing it himself or herself, a friend very easily could take the reading for him or her. Is it somehow unthinkable an optometrist would be willing to share this information with someone?

is it really worthwhile for me or my staff to try and spend time explaining PD measurement to somebody? If its that easy to do yourself, then the website should have no problem servicing their customers need. PD is always the responsibility of whomever is dispensing the spectacle.

 

[Commando303]

To each his own, I suppose, but, had I a private practice, and the time to do so, I feel I'd not mind quickly telling a person how to measure his or her P.D. I agree with KHE, this isn't the sort of measurement I'd feel is important to have done professionally. At the very least, I think I'd mention a patient can find out everything (relevant) he or she needs to know about P.D., through Google.com.

 

[KHE]

totally disagree with you khe. PD is a measurement only used for glasses. If you want to get glasses elsewhere that is your prerogative, but that optical will have to measure your PD, seg, frame size, etc. That would be their responsibility. I wouldn't charge but that's only because I would not supply it. Why would anybody?

Whenever I have to rent a tuxedo for a wedding, which mercifully is less and less frequently, I always have my local tailor measure me up and fill out the form so I can rent the tux from wherever the groom has rented them. The tailor doesn't refuse, or suggest I surf the net to find out ways to measure it myself.

I view measuring and providing PDs the same way. Yes, it's mildly annoying to do it knowing full well that the patient has chosen to purchase their materials from somewhere other than your office but at the end of the day, refusing to provide it is to me, bush league and generates far more ill will than it's worth.

 

[PBEA]

Whenever I have to rent a tuxedo for a wedding, which mercifully is less and less frequently, I always have my local tailor measure me up and fill out the form so I can rent the tux from wherever the groom has rented them. The tailor doesn't refuse, or suggest I surf the net to find out ways to measure it myself.

I view measuring and providing PDs the same way. Yes, it's mildly annoying to do it knowing full well that the patient has chosen to purchase their materials from somewhere other than your office but at the end of the day, refusing to provide it is to me, bush league and generates far more ill will than it's worth.

apples and oranges (seems to be your modus operandi). If its not crappy burgers at arbys, its tuxedo measurements . I see the fitting of eyeglasses with their corresponding biometrics to be part of the service of the optical. PD alone is hardly sufficient to fit many spectacles, and I find it misleading to suggest otherwise. You know as well as I do that without a seg height the specs are destined to be a problem and your only defense is a meager attempt to preserve goodwill. I think when the specs arrive and they are a problem, that you are at more risk of flushing that goodwill down the toilet. Having experienced this firsthand I can attest to this risk. Few years ago, pt wanted a pair of sunglass specs from Orvis, and I provided the PD measurement and of course he ended up having problems. Orvis suggested that the PD I provided was wrong. Total crock of course and after measuring their specs I found the power was off in one eye by almost a diopter.

 

[KHE]

apples and oranges (seems to be your modus operandi). If its not crappy burgers at arbys, its tuxedo measurements . I see the fitting of eyeglasses with their corresponding biometrics to be part of the service of the optical. PD alone is hardly sufficient to fit many spectacles, and I find it misleading to suggest otherwise. You know as well as I do that without a seg height the specs are destined to be a problem and your only defense is a meager attempt to preserve goodwill. I think when the specs arrive and they are a problem, that you are at more risk of flushing that goodwill down the toilet. Having experienced this firsthand I can attest to this risk. Few years ago, pt wanted a pair of sunglass specs from Orvis, and I provided the PD measurement and of course he ended up having problems. Orvis suggested that the PD I provided was wrong. Total crock of course and after measuring their specs I found the power was off in one eye by almost a diopter.

We'll agree to disagree then.

 

[stonegoat]

You may want to check with your state board. In some states, a PD measurement is supposed to be part of a standard exam, at least on new patients. Very very few practitioners do this of course, but it could potentially complicate your desire to charge for it. Most autorefractors also provide that measurement if you use one though people rarely note it in the record.

Secondly, I would advise against charging for that. The amount of ill will generated by doing so is going to FAR outweigh the $5 or $10 you can collect and patients are only going to (rightfully so) view it as their rich bastard eye doctor (even if you're not a rich bastard) trying to punish them for daring to get their glasses elsewhere.

In my opinion, it's a bush league practice to charge for that.

I disagree. I tell patients (rather my optician does) that measurments for the fitting of glasses are part what you pay for when you purchase glasses, and it is the responsibility of the dispenser. Patients seem to accept that.

 

[Meibomian SxN]

A few patients called and asked for their PD so they can order eyeglasses online. We don't record their PD on the exam chart, so they would have to come into the optical and get it measured.

Does anyone charge for this service?

I just seen an excellent discussion about this online with Dr. Neil Gailmard's newsletter.

http://www.optometric.com/mtotw/tip.asp?tip=402

Its something we all will have to learn to contend with in the future.