Patient: so i need to come back in and get my glasses measured again right?
Me: nope we just made some in june so you should be all set
Patient: right but i've lost some weight.
"what i need is a strong drink and a peer group." ... Douglas Adams - Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy
With the straightest face possible an older female patient asks, "Do these glasses look comfortable?" For once I was left without a single snarky remark...completely speechless.
I should show them a combination frame and say. "I have some metal frames that comes in all metal and I have some metal frames that has some plastic on it. Unfortunately, I don't have metal frames that come in plastic. Would you like to try what I have?"
Last edited by OptifiedNikki; 02-05-2015 at 05:41 PM. Reason: Disregard
Me: I am sorry to hear that you can not see out of your glasses. We will be more than happy to assist you. Oh and by the way, please inform your wife that it is highly recommended that she wears her own.
Patient: My wife has 20/20 vision. She doesn't wear glasses.
Me: That explains it.
Patient: Explains what?
Me: Why your wife can not see out of your prescription glasses.
Patient: My glasses have prescription in it ???
Me:
Lady Nicole, that will never change. The younger you are the less qualified you are - is their psyche. You could do everything right for them, trying to prove your worth and qualifications but the most Senior optician can efff up once big time and they made just one little mistake.
Never tell or show your age. Be or be perceived as older every time when dealing with your patient and periodically hinting to them the various levels of skills you have learned over many years of being in the field- all in one interaction. They will never again question your authority. Don't wait to the last minute to take lead. Take lead from minute #1.
It's not ethnic or geographical. It is the prescribing doctors responsibility to inform the patient and give the basic information about their prescription and routine care. It's their responsibility to inform the patient that it's the eyes that changes not the prescribed lenses.
OMG OMG ... Someone just now just came in and asked me "Do I need glasses?" This is the first time we have met.
Patient: "I would like to purchase contact lenses"
Me: "Ok do you have a prescription for them?"
Patient: "No"
Me: "Have you had an eye exam for contact lenses?"
Patient: "No"
Me: "Have you ever worn contact lenses before?"
Patient: "No"
Me: "When was your last eye exam?"
Patient: "About 3 years ago"
Me: "Well sir, we would need to schedule you for an eye examination to bring your prescription up to date and to be able to fit you with contact lenses"
Patient: "Well cant you just take the prescription off of these and give me contact lenses?"
*hands me glasses that look like they have been through hell and back*
Me:
Like .... uh .... why me?
Because if I did take the prescription off your 3 year old glasses for some contacts that you have never been fitted for and just let you purchase it before the doctor gives the okay. You'll be back in here complaining about headaches after bumping into a quite a few moving cars.
BTW, is it common that a contact lens patient who is clearly in the contact lens fitting procedure phase with another provider, come to you trying to order revenue boxes with empty trial lens packs of an Rx that was never really finalize.
Or better yet ... after a fitting you give them a trial set of lenses and INFORM them/ INSTRUCT them to come back in a week for a follow-up to finalize their prescription. They are a no show to their followup appointment. You play Marco Polo with them for the next two weeks. Finally they respond and tell you they are coming in. Months pass and they never did. Out of the blue you get a call from them asking if they could order a new set of lenses because the lens they have been wearing (a two week lens, worn daily over a period of 6 to 8 months, wth) are making their eyes itchy, teary and the lenses never get cleaned.
Conversation goes a little like this ...
Me: Ms >>>>, the lenses you have are only trial lenses. They are good for only two weeks of daily use. We fitted you for these lenses 6 months ago. The prescription had to be finalized and you were scheduled to come in a week from your exam.
Patient: I was ???
Me: Yes, you were a no show to that appointment and we couldn't reach you until you called us trying purchase contact lenses the first time. It was then that you committed to coming in so that we could give you a fresh trial lens. But, you didn't come in that day either. What happened?
Patient: Ooooh, I was really supposed to come in ???
Me: Yes
Patient: I thought that the lenses you gave me were my actual lenses.
Me: No, they weren't and we explain this several times before.
Patient: Oooooh ... (pause) Well, can I order them anyway.
Me:
I work in an MD's office...still stupifies me, when we ask to see their their current glasses...and the reply is: "I did not bring them, I only wear them to watch TV and movies as things that far away are blurry"....scary...
Yesterday, a woman called to make an appointment, then said "Wait a minute" as she then proceeded to order drive thru for her family and apparently the entire neighborhood. After the third burger without lettuce, extra pickle, double cheese and cooked crispy...I hung up on her...
no one had ever mentioned interacting with ALL OF THE ABOVE CHARACTERS , ......AFTER THE PROSPECTIVE PATIENT HAS JUST HAD AN ONION/GARLIC SANDWICH and smoked a pack of cigs
Last edited by COMEINPEACE; 02-08-2015 at 09:02 AM.
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