2024 as an Optometrist

What change will you make?

Read time: 2 minutes

What does Optometry have in store for you in 2024?

You may be a student, pre-reg, newly qualified or an established Optometrist. What will you do differently this year to enhance your growth in the industry or to upskill yourself? Be under no illusion, doing nothing is taking a step backwards.

In 5-7 years time, Optometry will not be as it is today. With foundations already being laid and new technology being implemented at a rapid pace, soon apprentices’ or machines will easily do what you do on a daily basis. Then what? How will you stay relevant in your practice and continue to add value to your patients?

It’s time we all start thinking about the future and not just the day-to-day tasks we carry out. It’s exciting to be part of the generation where the landscape of Optometry will change. We need to embrace it and move alongside it, or even get ahead of it. We’re fortunate that the profession is regulated and the GOC can ensure whatever it brought into the field is for the benefit of the patients and nothing should compromise their care. On the other hand it can be daunting that whilst we added so much value all these years, we now need to think of other ways to do so.

So what do we do?

It’s clear post pandemic that there is a heavy emphasis by the public on their health. I’ve seen a lot more patients wanting to make sure their eyes are healthy, and are willing to pay a premium too. Pre-covid nearly all patients used to come solely for a refraction and glasses. Now more and more are in the testroom without any refractive error, but just to ensure their eyes are okay.

Hence, in my opinion we should be focusing on upskilling ourselves to provide more of a holistic approach when it comes to patients. Instead of just refracting, we need to offer solutions and treatments for dry eye, blepharitis, myopia, visual stress and more. There also need to be more accredited Optometrists in the community that have pathways with local hospitals so they can manage conditions such as glaucoma in the high street.

Practices also need to transform their approach and marketing. They need to offer clinics which treat the patient’s eyes and not just give a refraction. You will see people paying more for these appointments, who will then as a result also dispense glasses with you too. Why would they go to another practice to buy their glasses, if you are offering everything they need?

These days more employers are offering their Opticians further development and sponsoring further qualifications such as medical retina, glaucoma and dry eye. We should be jumping on these opportunities because that’s what will make us stand out when refraction is removed from our job description.

Do something that sets you apart from your peers whether its clinical or professional. You’ll be glad you did it.  

 

Regards,

Hasnain Mamdani - Founder & editor
The Optics Room