Dispensing Optics

PO Box 233, Crowborough TN6 9BD

Telephone: 01892 667626

Fax: 01892 667626

Email: do@abdo.uk.com

Website: www.abdo.org.ukJuly 2011

dispensingoptics

2 5 t h A n n i v e r s a r y

1986 - 2011

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DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 2

3 Cover pointby Tony Garrett

4 Continuing Education andTrainingAre electronic devices finallysuperseding traditional optical LVAs?by Jane Macnaughton and TaranehEliasieh

10 Frequently asked questionsby Kim Devlin

12 Patient and practice managementFrom browser to buyerby Antonia Chitty

14 President’s Consultation DayBusy agenda at President’sConsultation Day

20 Low visionLow vision, depression and theeffect of counsellingby Lizzie Bartlam

24 BCLA newsBCLA 2011 hits the spotby Vivien Freeman

26 Newsbrief

27 The President’s diaryby Jennifer Brower

28 Optician IndexApril 2011 summary

37 Disjointed jottings froma DO’s desk . . .In at the deep endby Gillian Twyning

38 CET answersOphthalmic prisms: part twodispensing options

39 Diary of Events

July 2011

Getting startedIn this month’s Disjointed jottings Gillian

Twyning gives an interesting and

encouraging account about starting

up her own practice (see page 37).

Gillian is one of the new generation of

entrepreneurial dispensing opticians

who has not only set herself up in

business but who has also already

played an active role within the

Association. She is a great role model

and I hope that many of today’s

students and new entrants to the

profession will be encouraged to think

about following in her footsteps.

In the membership department at

ABDO we are looking at ways in which

we can offer more help and advice to

those considering setting up in

business. We do have a number of

initiatives in place but we are seeking

C O N T E N T S3 dispensingoptics

ABDO actively works inconjunction with:

The Worshipful Companyof Spectacle Makers

Front cover:

Barbour Eyewear

available soon from the

Norville Group2 5 t h A n n i v e r s a r y

1986 - 2011

to extend these so as to be able to

offer more practical help and support.

So if you want to learn more give Katie

Docker a call on 01227 733912.

Getting involvedOver the past few months I have

spoken to a number of members who

are taking an active part on their

LOCs. This is particularly encouraging

as it is essential that the voice of DOs is

heard when discussions and

negotiations are taking place

regarding local commissioning. Clearly

this is of importance to practice

owners but also to many others as

well, whether it be as a low vision

practitioner or practice manager.

However, it is clear that in some areas

DOs are not represented. This needs to

be urgently addressed and we will be

making efforts centrally to ensure not

just better representation, but better

informed representation.

Through LOCSU, LOCs are getting

better support than ever before. The

whole profession has come together

nationally to ensure that everyone at

local level can tap into the

experience, advice and support that

they need. ABDO members need to

ensure that they are equally engaged

on their respective LOCs.

Queen’s Birthday Honours ListOur congratulations go to Dick Roberts

and Frank Norville who were both

included in the Queen’s Birthday

Honours List. Dick Roberts was

advanced from OBE to CBE and was

a former member of ABDO Council

and Frank Norville was appointed OBE.

Frank is a former chairman of the FMO

and former master of the Worshipful

Company of Spectacle Makers. He

has been a great friend to the

dispensing profession over many years.

Tony Garrett n

Cover point

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 3

This article has been approved for 1 CET point by the GOC. It is open to all FBDO members, including

associate member optometrists. Insert your answers to the six multiple choice questions (MCQs) online at

www.abdo.org.uk, or on the answer sheet inserted in this issue and return by 11 August 2011 to ABDO

CET, Courtyard Suite 6, Braxted Park, Great Braxted, Witham CM8 3GA. We are temporarily unable to

accept faxed entries, but this facility will be available again later in the year. If you complete online,

please ensure that your email address and GOC number are up-to-date. The pass mark is 60 per cent.

The answers will appear in our September 2011 issue.

At present, optical low vision aids such

as hand or stand magnifiers, remain

the device of preference offered by

most low vision practitioners and low

vision services. However we are all

aware that an increasing number of

our visually impaired patients are

enquiring about electronic devices to

either complement their current

optical aids or to simply replace them

altogether. Most households now have

access to a personal computer and a

growing proportion of the population,

both young and old, are skilled

computer users. In recent years there

has been a surge in the development

of affordable electronic vision

enhancement systems.

What is electronic magnification?

Electronic magnification, real image or

transverse magnification simply

4 dispensingoptics July 2011

C-16543

Are electronic devicesfinally supersedingtraditionaloptical LVAs?

Jane Macnaughton and TaranehEliasieh discuss the development ofelectronic vision enhancementsystems (EVES) and argue that lowvision practitioners should now beexpanding their service to routinelydemonstrate this indispensablecollection of magnification devices

CompetencIes covered: Optical appliances, low vision for dispensing opticians

Target groups: Dispensing opticians, optometrists

displays an enlarged image on a

screen or monitor. It is calculated as

the ratio of the size of the image on

the screen compared to the size of

the original object. The magnification

so produced is aberration free, but

screen resolution determines the

quality of the image. A simple example

of electronic magnification can be

demonstrated when a photo or picture

is ‘zoomed’ in on a computer. The

image is cropped and redisplayed over

the entire screen face, thus causing the

resultant image to be magnified within

restraints of the quality of the screen (ie,

pixels) and the screen size.

History

The theory behind using electronic

transverse magnification as a method

of vision enhancement was historically

first envisaged in the 1950’s by

Genensky et al1 Since then, the scope

and availability of electronic magnifiers

has developed to the point where

Harvey2 and later Macnaughton3 also

argue that the use of electronic

magnification should be included in

low vision consultations across all age

groups.

Despite the advantages of an

enhanced image and significantly

more magnification than traditional

optical devices, the high cost of

equipment and lack of portability has

previously limited their use to the

workplace or schoolroom, where

funding may be applied for. However

the marketplace is now changing.

With the cost of devices reducing,

several publicly funded low vision

services are now demonstrating and

lending low cost electronic low vision

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 4

Continued overleaf

devices such as those provided by

Bierley to their patients along with

standard optical devices.

The concept of using closed circuit

television systems (CCTV) as a low

vision aid has been a reality for some

time4,5, and was initially developed

from technology already widely used

in CCTV surveillance systems (Figure 1).

Other than magnification, CCTV

systems used in surveillance do not

tend to provide the many additional

features such as contrast

enhancement and image reversal,

which are incorporated in those

systems utilised by visually impaired

users. Consequently, Wolffsohn et al

suggest the term: Electronic Vision

Enhancement System (EVES) to better

distinguish and describe devices with

such features6.

Just a quick search on the Internet for

electronic magnification aids reveals a

vast and varied market of products

that are now available to the visually

impaired user. Devices vary in size,

price and degree of complexity; from

the larger, traditional desk mounted

apparatus to small, portable devices,

the market is expanding rapidly. Some

devices not only make use of

magnification, but additionally

incorporate OCR (Optical Character

Recognition) that digitally encodes

and converts scanned handwritten or

printed text documents into electronic

files. The data captured may then be

converted to synthetic speech or

printed in Braille for those who desire

additional sensory cues.

Stand EVES with monitor

viewing

The principle components of a

traditional CCTV include a camera, a

light source, an X-Y platform upon

which the object is placed, and a

monitor or screen on which is

projected the image. With the larger

screen size patients benefit from either

an increase in image size or an

improvement in the field of view at

lower levels of magnification.

Current products that incorporate a

traditional CCTV system as a stand

mounted EVES include, as an

example, the SmartView Synergy

(Figure 2). This stand mounted EVES

can be used to view books,

magazines, newspapers and colour

photographs. The SmartView Synergy

is available with up to 22inch screen

which can provide up to 69x

magnification. As with most of these

traditional CCTV’s the size and weight

of these systems restrict the user to one

place in the home or workplace.

However, systems have superior quality

image and the highest levels of

magnification. They are currently still

expensive and often beyond the

financial capabilities of many elderly

visually impaired users. However, most

manufacturers do allow a full trial

before there is a commitment to buy

outright.

As with all modern technology,

advances are continuing to improve

and increase the usage of EVES with

the incorporation of additional

features to aid viewing and

functionality for day-to-day use. The

ClearView PC+ from Optelec has

options for viewing both magnified

images and computer files

simultaneously using a split screen

mode.

Some of the main features of stand

EVES with monitor viewing (Figure 3)

Figure 2: SmartView Synergy by HumanWare with

control panel with added features of page

locator light, lines and blinds and computer

screen sharing

Figure 3: Selection of screen features available

from many stand EVES with screen monitor view

Figure 1: A CCTV surveillance system makes use of

a video camera imaging system that transmits a

signal to a specific place, on a limited set of

monitors

Continuing Education and Training

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 5

6 dispensingoptics July 2011

include:

• Higher levels of magnification

• Zoom capability

• Colour screen

• Reverse contrast and colour

contrast options

• Enhanced contrast

• Split screen view

• Horizontal or vertical masking

• Highlighting or underlining

• Moveable reading table

• Pivotal screens to assist posture

• Foot pedal control options

• Computer connectivity - dual

function capability with Windows

Advantages and

disadvantages

A fixed working space where all

controls are together means an

easier set up and a more compact

system. Moreover, this set up provides

a more natural working distance

which aids posture during use, as well

as the luxury of binocularity which is

not an option with high powered

optical aids. As a result, prolonged

tasks are more comfortable and

manageable. An appropriate low

reading or intermediate spectacle

addition, eg, +1.00D, may be

appropriate for presbyopes if viewing

the screen at a working distance of

approximately 1m or less. However,

the field of view can be restricted

depending on screen size, level of

magnification used and also from

sitting too close to the screen.

Stand mounted EVES also provide

additional functions which are not

possible with optical low vision aids.

For example, there is the ability to

change magnification without loss of

focus or working distance; it is

possible to achieve levels of

magnification in excess of 60x, and of

particular importance is the ability to

enhance or reverse contrast, a

feature that is only capable with

electronic devices.

Development of portable

systems

Over recent years more portable

video magnifiers have become

available, offering good quality

images at a lower cost than

conventional systems (Figure 4).

Designs and functionality vary and

include hand-held portable units with

integral screens, units that are head-

mounted and those which include

the use of an optical mouse

connected to a monitor or separate

screen. Some require mains supply

whereas others have rechargeable

battery packs. Almost all

combinations are available in one

form or another.

There are many portable electronic

aids now available offering electronic

vision enhancement with many of the

accompanying benefits without the

restrains of the space and weight of

larger traditional CCTV systems.

Portable systems are targeted for

flexible, day to day tasks with the

flexibility to be used in different

locations. For both short tasks such as

checking medication to more

sustained reading tasks, such as

reading the newspaper, such devices

provide an inexpensive, functionally

excellent, cosmetically acceptable

low vision aid.

Increasingly, the ability to use

multimedia applications in

conjunction with the magnifier is

becoming an option with some hand-

held magnifier systems. The

SmartView Versa+ from Human Ware

combines an electronic magnifier

with multimedia features such as the

ability to save and manipulate

images, record conversations, listen

to music and watch videos. These

features really come into their own

when the magnifier is used as a tool

for studying, office work and leisure

activities.

Until fairly recently, portable video

magnifiers have been using CCD

(charge-coupled device)

semiconductor technology to

capture digital images in much the

same way as our personal digital

cameras or camcorders. One of the

drivers behind the falling prices in

digital cameras, however, has been

the introduction of CMOS

(complimentary metal-oxide

semiconductor) image sensors that

were first established within EVES by

Bierley.

Using CMOS technology: Bierley’s

MonoMouse

By using CMOS technology, Bierley

had simply taken an optical mouse

and modified it to be used as a video

magnifier for the visually impaired. The

result was Bierley’s first MonoMouse

Figure 4a: Bierley’s Explora-Plus is a portable

electronic magnifier measuring 77 x 85 x 25mm

and weighing 108g. Magnification is provided up

to 9x and there are options such as image freeze,

and contrast reversal

Figure 4b: The SmartView Versa+ combines a

portable EVES with features of MP3 and video

players. Sophisticated memory functions are

provided with a SD (Secure Digital) card that can

store large file sizes such as music video and

images

Continued overleaf

Figure 5: MonoMouse™ by Bierley is compact

and comes with up to 24x zoom. It is easy to use.

Some patients may benefit by additional training

with steady eye strategy (SES).

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8 dispensingoptics July 2011

(Figure 5). The net result was an

affordable device with low power

consumption and superior image

quality.

CMOS sensors are significantly less

expensive to manufacture than CCD

sensors. Continued development in

this technology has produced sensors

which are less susceptible to ‘noise’

and which have excellent resolution

capabilities now comparing

favourably with previous high quality

CCD semiconductors. Furthermore,

CMOS offer more integration (more

functions on the chip), lower power

dissipation and are therefore more

suited to portable devices.

CMOS advantages

The MonoMouse can automatically

calculate the brightness of the

material that is being read and make

'instant' adjustments so that the screen

image is always in perfect balance.

This means that a user can move the

MonoMouse from a bright white sheet

of paper to a piece of regular

newspaper and the MonoMouse will

take care of the image quality

automatically.

The MonoMouse expands the use of

electronic magnification within the

home environment. The MonoMouse is

simply connected via the SCART

socket point in the back of a television

set (Figure 6) and the image captured

is displayed on screen. Most televisions

in the UK, and throughout Europe,

have been equipped with SCART

connectors for the last 10 to 15 years

and so the MonoMouse was designed

to take advantage of a special SCART

feature called ‘auto-detect.’ When

the patient is watching the television

on any channel, it is possible to simply

press the large blue on/off button on

the MonoMouse and the television

screen automatically switches to

display the text that the viewer wishes

to read. Once finished, the on/off

button is pressed again and the

television automatically reverts back

to the channel that was originally

being viewed.

One of the most useful aspects of

the MonoMouse is its portability.

Although it does need to be plugged

into a mains socket, it still remains

highly portable; patients may take it

on holiday, or to a relative's when

visiting. Compared to optical devices

and in similar principal to traditional

CCTV systems, patients retain a

binocular view at a comfortable

viewing distance from the TV screen,

eliminating the problems of

convergence and the uncomfortable

reading posture that is often

problematic with high-level optical

magnification. With this advantage,

sustained reading tasks may be

possible, although success will

ultimately rest with the patient's

acuity reserve, as with all

devices.

The simplicity of the optical mouse

design makes it popular with young

children and adults who have been

familiar in handling a standard

computer mouse.

Head-mounted systems

Some head-mounted EVES may be

used for viewing objects at different

distances, although are primarily used

to view at intermediate and near

distances. Units have the advantage

of blocking out problematic glare, but

their weight does restrict usage for

extended periods of time. When using

a head-mounted system, the

magnified image ratio between the

movement and the size is out of

balance and this can disturb the

vestibular ocular reflex causing

symptoms of sea-sickness in

susceptible patients

Other developments

Recent devices such as the iPod and

Kindle can also be used as hand-held

electronic magnifiers with similar

features as hand-held EVES devices

such as zoom and freeze screen.

Computer software

A relatively inexpensive option to

enhance text on screen is to use

specifically designed text enlargement

software. This software once installed,

is capable of enlarging on screen text

up to 36x. There are several products

on the market with varying degrees of

functionality and applications which

may include, for example, colour

adjustment options, image

enhancement and additional voice

synthesis.

Patient selection

With approximately 70 per cent of

visually impaired in the UK being over

75 years of age7, there is a need to

Figure 6b: MonoMouse USB works with any

desktop or notebook PC. When the software is

activated, a pop-up window is launched and the

image captured is within that window. The

window can be resized with effective change

upon the magnification and may be left running

alongside other applications. A visually impaired

person undertaking office work would find this

flexibility useful

Figure 6a: The MonoMouse fits comfortably into

the patient's hand and the simple one-touch blue

button is highly visible. The slightly larger than

average size of the MonoMouse is easier to use

than a standard-sized optical mouse, which

makes it attractive to those who find handling an

issue

Figure 7: Bierley’s Shoppa. An ultra lightweight

multifunctional device with a large 7 inch screen

and 4 hours battery life

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MCQs overleaf

produce simple, ergonomic systems

which are affordable and attractive to

our visually impaired users.

The Department of Health has

estimated that the total number of

visually impaired is set to rise by 25 per

cent in the next 20 years8. This will

undoubtedly result in a greater

demand for services for visually

impaired people, which will include

the provision of low vision aids9. As an

increasing number of the elderly

population are now regular computer

users, it is sensible to assume that the

use of electronic devices that have

similar functionality and features to a

laptop, a computer screen and an

optical mouse will soon be favourable

to all but a few.

The important thing to consider when

offering electronic magnifiers as an

option to low vision patients is not the

age of the patient, but rather what

specifically the patient wants to do

with the device. A magnifier based

around the design of an optical

mouse is fine for reading text or

viewing an object in a fixed location

but is of limited value, for example,

whilst out shopping. Although there

are several hand-held or portable

electronic devices that can be taken

shopping (Figure 7) it is important to

establish whether or not the patient is

comfortable using the device in a

public setting. In addition, does the

patient have the motivation to

persevere with the device which will

ultimately be a major factor in

determining the success of the device

in this environment?

As electronic magnifiers tend to

provide variable levels of

magnification compared to optical

magnifiers, they are useful for varying

degrees of visual loss and a great

variety of text sizes. Units may also be

used for eccentric viewing when using

a marker on the screen for the patient

to look at and devices with movable

XY tables may be employed in training

steady eye strategy, where the object

is moved rather than the magnifier.

Field of view

With optical magnification, the closer

the patient is to the plus lens of the

magnifier, the greater will be the field

of view, and the greater the number

of characters visible. By using a

television screen to view the magnified

image, the field of view is not

influenced by the eye-monitor

distance, unless the patient is very

close to the monitor, when the reverse

becomes true. Both the field of view

and the magnification of the system

will be largely dependent upon the

screen size. Reducing the screen size

will therefore result in a smaller field of

view and less magnification.

Image reversal

For most patients the image reversal

facility is useful, and for some a

necessity. By reversing the contrast

from black on white to white on black,

there is a reduction in light scatter

within the eye which will improve

performance in those patients who

have media opacities or who are

photosensitive.

Reading speeds

The success of any device given for

sustained reading tasks can be

determined in part to the patient’s

reading speed. Devices that comprise

of a monitor view, whether a

traditional stand mounted EVES or a

mouse connected to a monitor such

those found in the Bierley MonoMouse

range have been shown to produce

best results. The effectivity of electronic

devices and reading speeds have

been studied in clinical trials with

mouse EVES connected to head-

mounted display viewing resulting in

the lowest reading speeds compared

to traditional stand EVES with monitor

viewing. At smaller print sizes, reading

with a traditional optical magnifier is

slower than with the mouse or stand

EVES with monitor. Overall, however,

although EVES provide objective

benefits to the visually impaired in

reading speed and acuity, together

with some specific near tasks, some

can be performed just as fast using

optical magnification10.

Conclusion

The advancements and improvements

in the quality and efficiency of

components have widened the use of

electronic magnification. All age

groups are now regular computer

users and as relative costs reduce and

portability improves it is predicted that

domestic use will become

commonplace. In time the elderly will

turn to electronic magnification as a

principal method of magnification. It is

arguably fundamental for low vision

practitioners to discuss and preferably

demonstrate the advantages of

electronic devices alongside the

established optical approach to

prescribing magnification during the

consultation.

References

1. Genensky SM, Peterson HE, Moshin

HL, Clewett RW, and Yoshimura RI.

Advances in closed circuit television

systems for the partially sighted.

1972;Santa Monica: Rand R-1640-

HEW/RC

2. Harvey WJ. Electronic low vision aids,

a new image for the visually impaired.

Optician 2004;227(5948):22-25

3. Macnaughton J. Bierley’s

MonoMouse. Optician

2005;230(6011):24-25

4. Potts AM, Volk D and West SS. A

television reader as a subnormal vision

aid Am J Ophthalmol. 1959

Apr;47(4):580-1

5. Grenensky SM. Some comments on

a closed circuit TV system for the

visually handicapped. Am J Optom

1969;46:519-24.

6. Wolffsohn JS, Peterson RC. A review

of current knowledge on Electronic

Vision Enhancement Systems for the

visually impaired. Ophthal Physiol Opt.

2003;23:35-42

7. RNIB: Estimates and Registration

Statistics for the UK 1995

8. Low vision Services Consensus

Group Recommendations for future

service delivery in the United Kingdom,

1999

9. Ryan B, McCloughlan L. Our better

vision: what people need from low

vision services in the UK London,

RNIB,1999

10. Peterson RC, Wolffsohn JS,

Rubenstein M and Lowe J. Benefits of

electronic vision enhancement

systems (EVES) for the visually impaired.

Am J Ophthalmol 2003;136,6: 1129-1135

Taraneh Eliasieh BSc MCOptom is an

optometrist working in the optometry

department in Royal United Hospital

Bath.

Jane Macnaughton BSc MCOptom is a

specialist optometrist at the Leicester

Royal Infirmary, Leicester and has a

special interest in working with the

visually impaired. n

Continuing Education and Training

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10 dispensingoptics July 2011

Multiple choice questions (MCQs): Are electronic devices finallysuperseding traditional optical LVAs?

1. Which one of these devices is not hand-held?

a. Smartview Versa

b. Smartview Synergy

c. Bierley Explorer-Plus

d. Bierley Shoppa

2. Which statement is true about stand-mounted EVES?

a. They provide less magnification than portable devices

b. They are less expensive than portable devices

c. They can provide hands-free control

d. The user must sit at a fixed distance from the screen

3. Which one of the following does not have an option for

contrast reversal?

a. A hand-held magnifier

b. Clearview PC+

c. Bierley Explorer-Plus

d. Bierley MonoMouse

4. When a low vision patient needs to read a document

The deadline for posted response is 11 August 2011 to the address on page 4. Note that we are temporarily unable toaccept faxed entries. The module code is C-16543

Online completion - www.abdo.org.uk - after member log-in go to ‘CET online’

After the closing date, the answers can be viewed on the 'CET Online' page of www.abdo.org.uk. To download, print orsave your results letter, go to 'View your CET record'. If you would prefer to receive a posted results letter, contact the CETOffice 01621 890202 or email cet@abdo.org.uk

Occasionally, printing errors are spotted after the journal has gone to print. Notifications can be viewed at www.abdo.org.uk on the CET Online page

with fine print, what would give the slowest reading rate?

a. Kindle

b. An optical aid

c. A CCTV system

d. A head-mounted viewer with a MonoMouse

5. Which portable electronic device gives the option to use

it with a television?

a. Bierley Explorer-Plus

b. Smartview Versa+

c. Kindle

d. Bierley MonoMouse

6. Which statement is false?

a. Contrast reversal reduces scatter within the eye

b. The pixel count of a monitor will limit the maximum useful

magnification

c. Optical aids provide comparable binocularity to

electronic aids at high magnification

d. CMOS sensors consume less power than CCD sensors

Q.There has been a bit of a disagreement in our practice overhow often contact lens patients should be recalled. The contactlens optician (CLO) and optometrist are saying one thing and thedispensing optician manager is saying another. Is there guidancewe can use to settle this issue once and for all?

A. There is no hard and fast rule that dictates when a contactlens wearer should have a check-up. The frequency of check-upsis controlled by the lens type, the modality of wear, thecompliance of the patient, the age of the lenses and any clinicalfindings at the last check-up. In truth, it is often the practitionerwho favours a particular pattern of appointments. You might beable to argue a ‘no more than’ rule, that a patient should not besupplied with lenses after a period of time ‘no more than’ thepractitioner has stated.

The over riding consideration of contact lens check-up intervalsis the wellbeing of the patient. As such, I think flexibility is theanswer in this case. A practitioner may well suggest a six-monthly

Frequently asked questionsAnswered by Kim Devlin FBDO (Hons) CL

reminder, knowing full well that that particular patient will beslow to respond to a reminder and it could be 12 months beforethey will actually attend. Other patients are occasional wearersof daily disposable lenses who can safely be told to come in atthe end of that supply of lenses for a check-up. In allcircumstances, it is the responsibility of the practitioner (CLO oroptometrist) to inform the patient of the recall and the reasonfor that check-up. It must also be clearly marked on the record toenable support staff to correctly input the data to a manual orelectronic system, which will send reminders at the appropriatetime.

The important thing is that contact lens practitioners can bereassured that those reminders will be sent and that contactlenses will not be supplied to patients if check-ups are missed. Tothis end, all support staff and managers should be made aware ofthe potential problems of a missed check-up, and the legal andprofessional responsibilities that both optometrists and CLOshave to their patients. n

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12 dispensingoptics July 2011

to a small purchase at first, so have a

range of products that you can

encourage as many people as

possible to buy.

Consider if you are placing sufficient

emphasis on this sort of small product

in practice. Could this sort of product

feature on your website too? While a

good case or cleaning cloth may

seem like a small ticket item, it could

solve a problem for a passerby who

then chooses to come to you for their

next pair of spectacles. Look at how

you might move purchasers of small

items on to making bigger, more

valuable buys if they are not patients

of yours already. They are ‘warm’ to

your business once they have made

their first purchase, so you need to

look at how you can exploit your

relationship and provide something

that will ‘solve their problems’ even

more effectively.

Columbell continues: “Your target

market gets tighter as you go down

the funnel. At the bottom you have

the things that you reap the most

amount of money from, those that

bring in the biggest income or have

the highest profit margin. Relatively

few people in your funnel will go on to

buy these most valuable products.”

People can be drawn further down

the product funnel if you offer them

good information. Send out

information on different and better

types of lenses, for example, which will

warm people to the idea of the

benefits they will get when they spend

a little more. You also need to look at

how you structure your post sale

communications. Columbell explains:

This month, Antonia Chitty offers someguidance on turning your practice browsersinto buyers

purchase is obviously more valuable

on one level than a small purchase,

but people who make small purchases

can be encouraged to return and

spend more if you obtain their contact

details. A ‘product funnel’ is one way

of looking at how you encourage

someone to travel from browser to

buyer, and from buying small

purchases to bigger ones.

Using the product funnelThe product funnel is most easily

understood visually; look at the

diagrams left and below and ask

yourself if you have something to offer

people at a range of levels. If you

have some free or very low cost items

to offer you can use this to draw in

people to share their details with your

business. Lindsey Columbell is the

director of Bojangle Communications.

She explains: “The top of the product

funnel has to reach as many people

as possible.” You can then start

communicating your marketing

messages to them, build a relationship

and draw them further down the

funnel. Many people will only commit

From browser to buyerD oes every person who steps into

your practice go on to make a

purchase? Does every visitor to your

website click to book an

appointment? No, of course they

don’t. We all know that there are many

browsers both on and offline for every

buyer, and sometimes it can seem

hard to work out how to get them to

engage further. However, browsers are

just as valuable to your business as

buyers and in this article, you can find

out how to make the most of them.

Many business owners only see

success when a sale takes place, but

getting people onto your mailing list is

important so that you can start to

communicate with them. A large

Something FREE or very low cost to enticepeople to share their details with you

Something of moderate value thatis available to many

A product of higher value

Your highest valueproducts

A discount voucher (which requires peopleto sign up on your website or fill in

their details on the reverseof the voucher)

A low cost item such as a case,cleaning cloth, lens

solutions etc

An ‘off the peg’ product ofhigher value such assunglasses, or lowcost prescription

frames

Your highest valueprescription products AND

ongoing subscriptionsfor eye careand lenses

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 12

Patient and practice management

“Once people have come in and had

an eye test the next stage would be

buying glasses. If someone leaves

without buying, consider sending them

a voucher after a short interval. If you

have an occasional contact lens

wearer who might like to wear lenses

more often, invite them onto your

contact lens scheme and offer a

saving on glasses as an incentive.

Once someone has purchased

spectacles, send them an offer for

prescription sunglasses.” If you study

purchase patterns you can establish

which brands will appeal to which

groups and send focused information

to encourage purchases.

Practical considerationsThink about the way you sell your

products. There is a fundamental

problem with running an optical

practice; the majority of your patients

will make one big purchase every two

years, or less often for those who only

change their frames when their

prescription needs changing. Plus, as

Eyeplan commercial director, Chris

Clemence, explains: “It costs about

£80 to do an eye examination, and

most practitioners charge £25 to £30.

The NHS pays us £20.80. With internet

sales and TV advertising there is a lot

of competition. If you end up with a

dispense rate of 55 per cent, you can

lose £50 to £60 for over half the eye

examinations you do.” Eyeplan helps

practices change the way they

charge for eyecare, spectacles and

lenses. Patients pay an average

Eyeplan fee of £9 per month and £12-

13 for a contact lens wearer, get their

spectacles at a discount and the

benefits of accidental damage cover.

As well as providing a reliable monthly

income for the practice, this discount

can prevent patients walking out the

door to shop around.

Clemence explains how this benefits

the practice: “The effect on the

Think about your company product

funnel – is it complete or are there

noticeable gaps? What could you do

to fill in those gaps? If your product

funnel is complete, are you selling as

many products in each band as you

could be? Remember that while

people only need eye examinations at

certain intervals, there are many more

opportunities to encourage them to

buy accessories or upgrade a pair of

spectacles if they are motivated by

fashion. Clemence concludes: “Tiny

things make a big difference to

purchasing habits; don’t walk the

patient to the door if there is no

change – leave them in the practice

to browse. People don’t wait until their

feet change size to buy shoes. People

don’t just buy glasses because they

have a clinical need – they buy them

for fashion now too.” See the box

above for the actions can you now

take to grow your practice sales?

Antonia Chitty is a former optometrist

who writes on business and health. She

is author of A guide to Promoting Your

Business (ACPR £15) and DIY

Marketing: The Essential Guide

(Need2Know, £9.99, due out October

2011), both of which will help you if

you need to know more about

effective ways to promote your

practice. n

Actions to increase salesHere are some ways to get people toshare their contact details with you:• Ideas for in-practice incentives• Have a competition each month.Make it easy for people to enter byhaving entry forms and boxes at variouspoints in the practice and close to thedoor• Have a sign-up book on the receptiondesk with a clear notice that people canshare their details in order to receiveyour practice newsletter and specialoffers• Ensure every member of staff speaksto browsers and points out thecompetition or the sign-up book• Ideas for online incentives• Discount vouchers• Free accessories with first purchasevoucher• Entry into a prize draw orcompetition• Free tips sheets or reports or eBooks

practice is that Eyeplan creates

contracted income. Once you have

people on the scheme you can get a

cheque every month. Practices at the

top of the tree earn £20k every month:

others just earn a few hundred, which

is still useful for a small practice. Plus,

your sales of spectacles go up.

Eyeplan patients dispense rates go up

to 100 per cent when they start, as the

discount on spectacles is seen as the

key benefit to the patient. Plus, people

will use their discounts to buy better. It

gets rid of ‘buyer’s regret’ too – they

won’t see a better deal elsewhere.”

Getting people to opt into schemes

like Eyeplan can seem tricky if your

patients already baulk at fees of £20

for a sight test, but not everyone in

your practice needs to subscribe and

with time you can change the way

people perceive the value of the care

you offer.

If you are thinking about setting up or

opting into a subscription eyecare

scheme, consider the training offered

to all staff to help them make it a

straightforward first choice for patients.

Clemence says: “The fact is that you

can have good returns from a 20 per

cent take-up. Some practices go up

to 50 per cent. The most important

thing for take-up is to have every

member of the practice behind it. If

the practitioner recommends a

subscription scheme on the way to the

dispensing optician, it improves take-up.”

Your business can sometimes seem like

it depends on the number of sight test

slots you have available, but by filling

your product funnel you can increase

your practice income and provide a

range of ways to draw in more people

who might not initially buy from your

practice. In this way, a product funnel

makes it easier to market your business

and draw people down to find those

who want, will value and can pay for

the highest value designer products.

Chris ClemenceLindsey Columbell

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:55 Page 13

Negotiations with the NHS, the future of CETand children’s vision screening were just some ofthe many topics discussed at the President’sConsultation Day held in London on 18 May

Welcoming Area members to the

meeting, ABDO President

Jennifer Brower reported plans were

underway to employ another member

of staff whose duties would include

supporting the Areas. Each Area would

be asked to nominate two liaison

officers to act as conduits between

ABDO and Area members. The

President then outlined activities she

had undertaken on behalf of ABDO

since the beginning of the year,

including Optical Confederation

meetings to discuss future strategy and

ways of promoting optics, regular

meetings with the General Optical

Council (GOC) which had included

discussion of the registrable dispensing

qualification proposed by Anglia

Ruskin University, meetings of the All

Party Parliamentary Group for Eyecare,

graduation ceremonies in the UK and

overseas, and Optrafair. She had also

attended two excellent CET events in

Area 5 and Area 3. A major event had

been ABDO’s 25th Anniversary

luncheon on 6 May, at which the guest

of honour had been HRH the Countess

of Wessex.

In his update, ABDO general

secretary Tony Garret said the

Association’s 25th Anniversary

luncheon had been an important

milestone, with the Countess’s

attendance indicating approval of

the organisation and a testimony to

members’ work.

The general secretary continued with

an update on relations with the GOC,

which had been difficult over the last

few months due in part to GOC

staffing changes. A current issue of

contention was the provisional

approval granted by the GOC,

without consultation with ABDO, to

the proposal by Anglia Ruskin

University for a registrable dispensing

qualification.

The general secretary then

highlighted the proposed changes to

the NHS, which if approved by

parliament would see the abolition of

primary care trusts and the

introduction of new commissioning

consortia. This would affect every

practice in England and services

would depend on locally negotiated

contracts. The Local Optical

Committee Support Unit (LOCSU) set

up by ABDO, the AOP and FODO was

producing advice and guidance for

Local Optical Committees (LOCs) to

help them in local negotiations. The

general secretary urged all members

to attend their LOC meetings, as this

would be the only route through

which local schemes would be

negotiated. He told members that

the Conservative and Liberal-

Democrat Parties had committed to

retaining GOS as a nationally

commissioned service. Positive

contacts were also being made with

the Labour party.

Recent European and other

overseas activities included the

introduction of a dispensing course in

Romania developed by ABDO in

partnership with the Romanian

optical association and funded by

the EU. This project had a wider

significance as ABDO was

endeavouring, through ECOO, to

establish a European Diploma in

Busy agenda atPresident’s ConsultationDay

14 dispensingoptics July 2011

Continued overleaf

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:57 Page 14

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16 dispensingoptics July 2011

Continued overleaf

Optics. Discussions had also been held

with relevant organisations in New

Zealand, where ABDO would shortly

offer a top-up course. All of these

activities were designed to generate

income that would enable ABDO to

keep its subscriptions as low as possible

and to offer more services to UK

members. In conclusion the general

secretary reported a much-improved

financial situation. Following a deficit

of almost £300,000 in 2009, 2010 had

shown a surplus of the same amount,

thus returning ABDO to its pre-2009

position.

Future of CET

ABDO CET coordinator, Paula Stevens,

updated members on the current

situation with regard to the GOC’s CET

scheme. She noted that a detailed

assessment had been undertaken, on

behalf of the GOC, of the relative risks

posed by dispensing and optometric

activity, possibly with a view to

developing a scheme for revalidation.

The assessment showed that there was

very little risk attached to dispensing

opticians’ practice and that only a

very small part of that practice would

be subject to revalidation. The

government had subsequently

deferred debate on revalidation for

the medical profession and the GOC’s

proposals were now held in

abeyance. Consideration was instead

being given to an enhanced CET

scheme, though nothing had yet

been decided. It was possible that in

future registrants would not be able to

obtain all of their CET requirement

through distance learning. In addition,

the GOC appeared keen to introduce

a requirement that peer review should

form part of contact lens opticians’

CET activities. The GOC was aware of

the potential difficulties for

practitioners in isolated areas and the

lack of CET funding for dispensing

opticians.

Updating members on ongoing

discussions relating to a proposal to

grant CET providers the power to

approve their own CET, Paula said she

felt such a system could be open to

abuse unless clear benchmarks were

established. On the other hand, she

would like to see ABDO fulfill this role,

provided that a clear audit trail was

put in place. It was likely that the GOC

would introduce a requirement that

registrants should obtain a minimum of

six CET points per year; this would

prevent the current situation whereby

registrants could gain their whole CET

requirement at one go at the

beginning or end of the cycle.

Administration of the new scheme

would be put out to tender and it was

therefore not known whether

CETOptics would be running the

scheme after 2013. Contact lens

opticians would no longer have to

obtain 54 CET points including 18

specialist points. In future, the specialist

points would be included in the 36-

point requirement that applied to all

registrants.

Challenges faced by ABDO in the light

of these potential changes included:

how could ABDO further support

members living in remote areas if

journal-based distance learning could

only form part of CET?;

should ABDO introduce contact lens

peer review sessions (the Contact Lens

Committee had already put forward a

proposal for a peer review roadshow);

and how could distance learning be

improved to make it more acceptable

to the GOC? With regard to the last

point, it was suggested that distance

learning could be concentrated

online, with questions requiring greater

input from practitioners. It was also

suggested that for each CET article in

Dispensing Optics there should be

several different sets of questions,

produced on a separate sheet and

distributed randomly within each issue

of the journal.

Area reports

Area 2: A full CET day had been held

in Leeds, offering six CET points and

sponsored by 10 exhibitors. Some 45

members had attended, which was

slightly disappointing, although positive

feedback had been received from

those who had attended. Another CET

event had been arranged for 2

October. The annual practical student

revision day had been arranged,

although only 20 applications had

been received to date. Thanks were

expressed to the Area committee

members for their hard work, and

tribute was paid to committee

members who had recently stood

down.

Area 3: A new treasurer had been

appointed following the resignation of

the previous incumbent. A Sunday CET

day had recently been held; this had

broken even financially and had been

highly successful in terms of enjoyment

by delegates and exhibitors.

Area 5: A CET day had been held on

14 March, and had been attended by

the President. Approximately 90

delegates had been present and a

mini-exhibition had been held. The

next CET day would take place on 12

September in Birmingham and would

offer six or seven CET points.

Area 6: Details of a CET event were in

the process of being finalised.

Area 7: A CET day was being

arranged for 15 September.

Sponsorship was available and a mini-

exhibition was usually held at Area

events.

Area 9: For the second year running, a

joint CET event had been held with

Area 8. More than 40 members had

attended and feedback had been

positive. An event scheduled for June

had to be deferred until September,

due to a loss of committee members.

It was intended in future to vary the

location of events around the Area.

Area 10: Although this Area had been

inactive for a while, ABDO’s head of

membership services, Katie Docker,

was endeavouring to revive it and in

response to her email to Area 10

members, three positive replies had

been received. Two of these

respondents were present and were

introduced to the meeting.

Area 11: A meeting had been held in

November 2010 about student

supervision and another one in March

2011 about changes to LOCs, which

had been attended by some 30

members. A CET day would be held in

September, with lectures and a mini-

exhibition.

Area 12: A CET day had been held in

January, in conjunction with the

Eyecare 3000 conference.

Attendance had been disappointing

even though the event had taken

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 16

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 17

18 dispensingoptics July 2011

place in Glasgow. A successful CET

day had taken place recently in

Aberdeen. NHS funding would again

be made available for a CET event for

dispensing opticians, optometrists and

pharmacists. The one-day programme

would be repeated on a second day.

The general secretary expressed the

view that this interaction with other

contractor professions set a good

example for the rest of the UK. It was

encouraging that the principle of

government funding for dispensing

opticians’ CET was now established in

Scotland.

Raising awareness

As the members’ open forum began,

mention was made of a parent

information leaflet on children’s

eyecare produced by Lesley-Ann

Murray for use in practice. It was

suggested that the leaflets would be

more effective if they were distributed

to schools and mother-and-toddler

groups. The general secretary outlined

the Optical Confederation’s ongoing

discussions with the Department of

Health with regard to children’s

screening, the Confederation’s stance

being that all pre-school children

should have a full eye examination.

The Department of Health, on the

other hand, did not want to bear the

costs involved and took the view that

screening should be done by

orthoptists, even though there were so

few of them.

The general secretary reported on a

joint initiative with the other optical

bodies to promote optics as a career

in schools. The jointly produced

careers pack had recently won a

major training award and aimed to

encourage interaction with students.

ABDO ambassadors were sought to go

into schools, with optometrists, to talk

to pre-school leavers about the role of

dispensing opticians and the benefits

of working within optics. The general

secretary stressed the importance of

this initiative and urged members to

become involved. Peter Black

mentioned that he had become a

careers ambassador and suggested

that each Area could purchase one

of the careers packs for use in their

own locality, as an effective means of

building contacts in the community.

There followed a discussion on the

need for research, particularly with

regard to children’s vision. The general

secretary mentioned discussions with

Christchurch University Canterbury

about the possibility of developing a

Masters degree and thus engendering

academic research in dispensing

optics. The ultimate aim was the

achievement of the same academic

status as other professions by the

publication of refereed scientific

research by ABDO College.

Reference was made to the discussion

at the last meeting about the

possibility of producing a public

information leaflet explaining the role

of pupillary distance measurements

and the reasons why they were not

part of the spectacle prescription. The

general secretary stressed the need

for the content of such a leaflet to be

approved by ABDO, the AOP and the

College of Optometrists. It was agreed

that Katie Docker and Paula Stevens

would raise the matter within the

Advice & Guidelines Committee in the

first instance, and seek to ensure that

the ABDO and COptom guidelines

were in line with each other on this

issue.

Law and

regulatons

Next, the President indicated that she

was collating evidence about internet

supply following a survey that she had

undertaken. She would publish the

results in due course. There followed a

discussion on the apparent ability of

internet companies to circumvent the

regulations relating to supervision. The

general secretary mentioned

problems with regard to non-UK supply

and substitution of lenses, and noted

that EUROMCOM was now taking an

interest in these matters. He also felt

that the GOC intended to introduce

greater clarity in its interpretation of

the law and to take a firmer stance

over breaches of the regulations. The

President highlighted a common

complaint from members that as

registered practitioners they were

bound by the law, whilst non-qualified

personnel could do what they liked

with impunity.

The meeting then discussed the

employment of optical assistants and

the large number of practices who

employed no dispensing opticians at

all. This was of particular concern with

regard to children’s dispensing since

clearly some children were being

dispensed illegally. However, it was

impossible to prove this without

embarking on costly research. The

general secretary said that part of the

problem lay in a lack of public

awareness of the service to which they

were entitled, or even their children’s

eligibility for free eye examinations.

Much of the responsibility lay with the

optical professions, who had

historically been ineffective in

educating the public about their

services.

Communications

Ashton Galloway reminded the

meeting that if Areas wished to

increase publicity for an event, they

could email the head of professional

services at Vision Express, who would

mention the event in the company’s

regular internal e-newsletter. Katie

Docker confirmed that ABDO’s Twitter

network would shortly be operating.

She urged members to sign up and

invited feedback. Details would be

included in the members’ e-newsletter.

She then outlined plans to enhance

member benefits by launching a few

lifestyle benefits. She cited some

examples and invited members to let

her have their ideas. It was suggested

that the publication, Ophthalmic Lens

Availability, could be included as a

member benefit. The head of DLI,

Michelle Derbyshire, pointed out that

this was an ABDO College publication

and would be costly for ABDO to

purchase as a member benefit. She

noted that the next edition would be

published in 2012.

Katie Docker then sought views on

suitable ABDO ‘apps’ for smart

phones. It was suggested that a public

information app indicating how to find

a qualified dispensing optician might

be useful, and could be preceded by

some kind of vision self-test. A

children’s vision screening ‘app’ for

parents, perhaps based on Professor

David Thompson’s screening software,

was also suggested.

The next President’s Consultation Day

will take place at the Medical Society

of London, on 16 November and will

be combined with the 2011 AGM. n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 18

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 19

20 dispensingoptics July 2011

Lizzie Bartlam BSc (Hons) FBDO (Hons) LVAlooks at the impact of a diagnosis of low visionand the positive steps that can be taken toimprove the patient’s well-being

T he dispensing optician and low

vision practitioner may often

encounter patients who have been

recently told they have a sight

condition that cannot be treated. Low

vision is the state of reduction in vision

that cannot be corrected by the

optical correction of spectacles,

contact lenses or medical

intervention1. The impact this can have

on the patient should not be

underestimated, and this is where

empathy has to be practised. Putting

yourself in the patient’s shoes can help

you try to understand where that

patient is now.

Patients of recent diagnosis can have

a deep feeling of loss for their lost

sense that they have had all their lives

and which is now going to deteriorate

with little hope given for its restoration.

This is a difficult aspect to take in. This

sense of loss has been likened to the

grieving process whereby the patient

can experience the same feelings for

their loss of sight as they would for the

loss of a loved one2. For the

recognised Loss Model, please see

Table 1.

Low vision andmental healthThe visually impaired patient can

indeed become depressed. Evidence

mainly suggests that low vision and

visual impairment are risk factors for

depression and other mental health

issues3-4. Research gives variable

figures on how much more likely it is

for the visually impaired patient to

become depressed. One study found

that the visually impaired patient is

twice as likely to be depressed than

the normal sighted5-7. More recent

research conducted in 2008 found

this value to be higher, with visually

impaired patients being 4.22 times

more likely to be depressed and

furthermore patients who are certified

as severely sight impaired are seven

times more likely to be depressed

than the normal sighted3. Regardless

of the different findings in values, the

research agrees with the high link with

depression and the visually impaired.

The dispensing optician and low vision

practitioner can therefore expect to

receive and deal with depressed

patients.

Feelings and emotions experienced by

patients suffering from age-related

macular degeneration (AMD) were

predominantly negative4. AMD is the

number one cause of severly sight

impaired or sight impaired registration

in the UK8 and is therefore going to be

presented to the dispensing optician

and low vision practitioner on a

regular basis. Therefore, when dealing

with these patients, the dispensing

optician and low vision practitioner

should not overlook the fact that these

patients may well have emotional

problems. In addition to depression,

the visually impaired patient can

experience bereavement as

mentioned, and anxiety and stress7.

Low vision, depressionand the effect ofcounselling

Stage Patient’s feelings

Shock Coming to terms with it all. May not be very responsive

Depression The patient wonders what will happen to them, and can

feel hopeless

Anger The patient wonders why it has happened to them. They

can look for someone to blame

Anxiety Worrying if things will get worse

Denial They can refuse to accept there is a problem at all. At this

point they may well reject any help offered

Acceptance The patient starts to understand what the problem is, how

it will affect them and looks for ways to get over the

disability

Table 1: The Loss Model (adapted from J. MacNaughton, 2005)

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 20

Low vision

DepressionDepression is the most common

disability in the UK9. It should also be

taken quite seriously as depression can

unfortunately lead to suicide10 and

indeed in one study of the visually

impaired, it was found that 50 per

cent of visually impaired patients were

suicidal to some level at the pre-

assessment prior to counselling7.

Therefore, there is a more serious side

to allowing the patient to continue

with just reassurance from us.

Depression is a medical condition that

requires professional and medical

intervention. When patients are

clinically depressed, it is not a matter

that they can feel a little low, the

depressed feelings interfere with their

everyday life11.

Mental health and successin the LV assessmentFor a low vision appointment to

achieve something for the patient,

and hence be considered successful,

the patient must be motivated12. This

will not be the case in the early days

when a patient is going through the

Loss Model. Therefore, this needs

tackling first and foremost. We can

provide empathy for the patient, aim

to counsel them and build up their

achievements. But patients who are

depressed can appear uncooperative

and can prevent progression in the

low vision assessment13. Some believe

that the optical practitioner should be

equipped with the skills to deal with

the patient who has fears and

anxieties, and the role of the

professional shifts to that of a

counsellor14, and this shift in role is what

the dispensing optician or low vision

practitioner can experience.

Depression to a patient can lead in

demotivation and poor quality of life15

and quick action is desirable. This is

more so the case as depression, as

mentioned, can lead to suicide11. Lack

of motivation and feeling low should

be symptoms we must be aware of,

and suggest treatment for, during our

assessment of the patient. Our

assessment and treatment cannot be

limited to providing the patient with a

good magnifier. They may just pop it in

the drawer if they are not motivated

enough to persevere in order to get

the best out of it. Emotional difficulties

should be dealt with during the

assessment16.

Dealing with thedepressed LV patientWhen dealing with these patients, true

empathy would be to feel the

patient’s pain and share their loss. This

can be difficult if we have not shared

the same experience – but we must try

to get there. However, it is also in the

best interests of the patient that we do

not get completely drawn down with

these feelings, as they will not help us

draw the patient out of their

metaphorical dark hole. If practitioner

and patient wallow together in sorrow,

then there will not be anyone in

control to help the patient move

along to the next stage of the grieving

process. It is important for the

practitioner to be a good listener and

let the patient speak first, and when

appropriate provide words of

encouragement and ask questions

that allow the patient to explain how

they feel and express themselves.

Comments should show understanding

and be positive. When asking

questions it is important not to force

the conversation; the questions should

be based on what the patient has

already shared with the practitioner.

The practitioner should not tell the

patient how they should feel or tell

them how much better off than others

they are, as when in the middle of

grief people do not want to hear how

good things are, they need to first

express how bad they think things are

and will expect understanding from

their practitioner. What the practitioner

can facilitate, as the conversation and

visits progress, is for the patient to see

positive things themselves. The

practitioner can facilitate this transition

but not tell the patient they should be

positive. This transition is a delicate

process and can only truly be dealt

with by the patient.

When dealing with these sorts of

emotions for the first time the

practitioner may be unsure of what to

say. Asking the patient if they would

like to talk about how they feel is a

good start and full attention should be

paid to the answer. Look directly at

the person and every attempt should

be made to understand their feelings.

At each appointment, asking them if

they would like to talk about their

feelings is useful, as their answer will

inform the practitioner if they have

moved on, a new problem or concept

has occurred, new coping skills have

developed or even a breakdown in

the coping that had already been

achieved. When people are going

through the grieving process, their

needs will change. It is also important

to recognise that there is no time limit

regarding each stage and the

practitioner should not expect the

patient to be at certain levels at

certain times. It is, therefore, important

to let the patient inform you where

they are at by attentive listening.

Even though we are not trained

counsellors, the very fact the

practitioner is willing to listen may well

bring some comfort to the patient. The

very fact the patient feels they have

support can be valuable to how they

feel emotionally. In summary, the key

points for dealing with depressed

patients are:

• Ask the patient if they would like to

talk

• Let the patient speak first before

asking further questions

• Listen well and pay full attention to

the patient’s answers

• Do not force the conversation in

any direction

• Ask questions based on what the

patient has already divulged

• Ask questions that allow further

expression

• Allow the patient time to express

themselves

• Use words of encouragement

• Show understanding.

• Use positive comments

• Do not expect a time-scale of

where the patient should be at on

their journey17

Multi-disciplinary approachAlthough we can help the patient by

being understanding and listening to

them, what is important to recognise is

that dispensing opticians and low

vision practitioners are not trained

counsellors and we need to recognise

our own limit of expertise and consider

getting these patients professional

counselling help. If we do not

recognise the limit of our expertise

then it could be possible that the

dispensing optician and the low vision

practitioner may also have a negative

impact without the necessary

counselling skills when dealing with

vulnerable patients. The time we

spend with our patients allowing them

to talk about how they feel may not

be enough. Some patients may not

benefit from brief counselling sessions18.

One study did actually find that

although counselling had a positive

effect, the low vision practitioner had

a negative impact on patient

coping19.

Why this is the case is uncertain,

however, it is possible that it could be

Continued overleaf

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 21

22 dispensingoptics July 2011

that the low vision practitioner is not

trained in counselling skills. Even if this is

not the case, the fact remains that a

negative impact has been shown

and, again, the point is made that the

dispensing optician and low vision

practitioner needs to recognise the

limitation of their skills and employ a

multi-disciplinary approach to patient

care, thereby accessing specialist

services that will include a qualified

and trained counsellor. The dispensing

optician or low vision practitioner has

the option to refer patients for

counselling by a fully qualified person

in this discipline20, but of course the

patient has to want to be counselled

and give consent for a referral to take

place.

It may not be correct to think that

people who are depressed will seek

help by themselves. A recent study

found that procrastination and stress

were predictors of poor mental health,

including depression18, and help

seeking, with 46 per cent of patients

who had mental health problems not

seeking help by themselves21.

Therefore, timely intervention by the

dispensing optician or low vision

practitioner, by providing a referral

route, may be exceptionally valuable

to these patients. If we allow them to

go home without a referral, we may

have not done all we can for this

patient, and thereby question our own

duty of care. So the practitioner

should employ a multi-disciplinary

approach and offer the patient a

referral to counselling. Counselling

allows the patient to put the problem

in perspective and explore solutions by

talking through the problem22.

Patients who are depressed may also

require support in making decisions23.

In line with patient-centred care, we

can provide support whilst we allow

the patient to make a decision on

whether to allow a referral to

counselling. We can be valuable in

outlining why we would feel it is

beneficial to their care. It can be

helpful for the patient for us to be

involved with their decision making as

one study found that 36 per cent of

depressed patients liked their

healthcare professional to be involved

with their decision23. Another place we

can offer support is to assist with the

initial paperwork. We must be wary

that some counselling services require

forms or client questionnaires to be

filled in. This may prove difficult for the

visually impaired and so our services

are required to help our patient with

this if the form comes in a format they

are unable to use easily. Another

place we can offer support is to

review if the counselling is working

when we encounter this patient again.

Effects of counsellingIf we are referring a patient for

treatment, we must be sure that it

offers success. To send a patient to

appointments that will have little

benefit to them can further add to

their disappointment and can do

more damage than good. Continually

experiencing failure just leads us to

further de-motivation. We must use

evidence-based practice to ensure

our recommendations are sound.

Evidence-based practice is

summarised by Gibbard et al24 as: “The

conscientious, explicit and judicious

use of current best evidence in

making decisions about the care of

individual patients”. We must look at

the evidence.

Overall, it is generally accepted that

counselling can help these patients

and there is evidence to say that

counselling does indeed have positive

effects on reducing symptoms of

depression and stress7,24-27 and in those

patients who have a visual

impairment19. Although your patient

may be receiving medication for their

depression, referral for counselling can

still be of benefit. It does appear that

the intervention of therapy has more

positive results than medication and

usual care alone19,24-26. Hansson et al26

found that people who were

diagnosed with clinical depression

benefited from therapy. This they

received once a week for six weeks.

72 per cent of these patients felt

better after receiving the therapy as

opposed to only 47 per cent of the

control group which were receiving

usual care. Their particular study also

included the benefits of self-

management alongside counselling

and this showed a continual

improvement even 12 weeks after the

counselling sessions had stopped, with

36 per cent of patients being

depressed at the end of the sessions

against 17 per cent being depressed

at the 12 weeks follow-up.

Boerner et al19 found that counselling

had a positive effect on the visually

impaired patient who had age-

related vision loss. Gibbard and

Hanley24 found that there was a

positive effect on patients receiving

counselling being conducted over six

to 12 weeks who suffered from anxiety

and depression; 67.7 per cent of

patients showed an improvement from

the symptoms after the intervention of

counselling with this improving to 69

per cent on the return of an exit

questionnaire. They also found that the

number of people who were on

sickness leave at the start of the

treatment was 52 per cent, which

reduced to 6.2 per cent after therapy.

Girdler et al25 found that without the

intervention of counselling and the

patient being reliant on usual care

alone actually resulted in the patient’s

decline. In addition to reduction in

symptoms, patients receiving

counselling have reported benefits

such as confidence increase,

improvement in relationships with other

people, having taken up new

challenges/activities including joining

clubs, looking for jobs, reduction of the

physical symptoms of the mental

illness7. Treating the underlying cause

can help achieve a more motivated

patient who may take up aids and

assistance more readily.

It can be argued that the results of

studies into the effect of counselling

for the visually impaired, justifies the

need to incorporate a mental health

service into the management of the

visually impaired patient. Even if we

are not able to help this patient with

their mental health problem, we can

at least get them the best care. It is

also interesting to note that

counselling has been the preferred

option chosen by patients23.

Availability of counsellingOverall it is important for the

practitioner to locate what services

are in their area. If in doubt of where

to refer, send the patient to their

general practitioner for referral. There

is a possibility that the counselling will

be available on the National Health

Service28. Further information about

counselling on the NHS can be

obtained at www.nhs.org.uk. It is

important that a referral takes place,

not just because of procrastination but

also because if the patient is left with

instructions to locate a counsellor

themselves, they may not be aware

that there is currently no legal

framework to prevent anyone from

calling themselves a counsellor45.

For a full list of references and further

reading, please email the author,

Lizzie Bartlam, at

e.a.bartlam@aston.ac.uk n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 09:59 Page 22

Specsavers Ad

NEW

on Lavenham site

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 23

Motivational speaker, Frank Dick OBE2011 BCLA Medal speaker, Professor Mark Willcox Celebrating new product launches in the

exhibition hall

There was another great turnout for the British ContactLens Association (BCLA) Clinical Conference and Exhibition,held this year at Manchester Central between 26-29 May.Vivien Freeman, BCLA secretary general, reports

BCLA 2011 attracted a total of 1,088

registered delegates – slightly up on

2010’s total of 1,004. Around half of

delegates were from overseas (585

overseas delegates from 49 countries)

with the largest contingent travelling

to Manchester from the USA, followed

by Switzerland, France, Italy and the

Netherlands. The accompanying

three-day free exhibition attracted a

number of visitors to view the latest

products from the show’s 45-plus

exhibitors – and to learn about the

latest innovations during the newly

introduced Exhibitors’ Pavilion sessions.

New experiences

This year, the Association was able to

welcome 119 first-time delegates to

enjoy a complimentary weekend

package thanks to New Delegate

Sponsors, CIBA Vision and Johnson &

Johnson Vision Care (Patron), Alcon

and CooperVision (Platinum) and

Bausch + Lomb and Topcon (Gold). At

a special Sunday morning breakfast

with BCLA President, Shelly Bansal,

sponsored weekend delegates were

encouraged to make the most of their

BCLA membership and to let the

Association know how it could

improve so it better met their needs.

First-time conference delegate,

Margaret Stevenson from Ross-shire,

said: “It’s been great to meet up with

other people who are as enthusiastic

about contact lenses as I am. There is

so much expert knowledge here, not

just from the lectures and workshops

but from the exhibition as well.” Jane

Mason from Gloucestershire, also

attending for the first time, found the

practical contact lenses session ideal

as she had recently returned to

contact lens practice. “I have learnt

an enormous amount from the courses

on offer, and from sitting in on some of

the Exhibitors’ Pavilion sessions,” she

said. Zahir Panju from Middlesex

commented: “I very much enjoyed my

first BCLA conference and found it to

be well organised and very

professional. It was even better than I

expected and I will definitely be

coming back – but for longer next

time and with my colleagues in

practice.”

The BCLA conference is renowned for

providing a fantastic forum for like-

minded colleagues to socialise with

friends old and new. At Johnson &

Johnson Vision Care’s Patron’s Party

and dinner on the Friday evening,

guests enjoyed a rousing, sports-

themed talk by motivational speaker

Frank Dick OBE. This year’s sell-out

Bollywood-themed Gala Dinner

featured a spectacular performance

by bhangra dancers enjoyed by some

850 guests, many of whom had

dressed in full Bollywood regalia.

Announced at the Gala Dinner were

17 new BCLA Fellowships, a mark of

esteem in the field of contact lenses,

which allows recipients to use the

letters FBCLA after their names.

BCLA 2011 hits the spot

24 dispensingoptics July 2011

The annual conference continues to attract high numbers of delegates from

the UK and overseas due to the wide range of CET lectures, workshops and

clinical presentations it offers – and the fact that the accompanying free

exhibition is the largest showcase of contact lens and related products in the UK.

The Association works hard to ensure the conference programme offers a wide

variety of tracks and sessions tailored to all eyecare professionals with an

interest in contact lens practice – from optometrists, contact lens opticians and

ophthalmologists to students and pre-regs just starting out.

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 24

Speaking after the conference as he

began his second year in office, BCLA

President, Shelly Bansal, said: “Once

again, the worldwide contact lens

profession and industry has shown its

unwavering support of the Association

and its aims – which are to develop

and promote best practice in all

aspects of contact lenses and the

anterior eye. I’d like to thank all of this

year’s sponsors and supporters and

most importantly our delegates; the

annual BCLA Clinical Conference and

Exhibition would not be what it is

without them. Over the coming

months, the Association will be

reviewing all aspects of BCLA 2011,

and analysing feedback from sponsors

and delegates, to ensure that BCLA

2012 in Birmingham is even bigger and

better,” added Shelly.

The 36th BCLA Clinical Conference

and Exhibition will take place at the

International Convention Centre (ICC)

in Birmingham from 24-27 May 2012.

Keynote speakers will include Professor

Mark Andre (USA), Professor Patrick

Caroline (USA) and Richard Collin (UK).

Professor Alan Tomlinson (UK) is the

2012 BCLA Medal speaker and Dr

Martin Cardall (UK) will present the

Irving Fatt Memorial Lecture.

For more information about BCLA

events and how to join the

Association, visit www.bcla.org.uk,

email jkelly@bcla.org.uk or call 0207

580 6661. n

BCLA news

Fun during the Top 10 Tips Trophy Challenge

Ready to party at the Bollywood Bash

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 25

Sign up forCarrotsNightwalkSee in the dark with Fight forSight’s new sponsoredevent – the CarrotsNightwalk.

The 15-mile nightwalkthrough the streets ofLondon is on 23 September,and will take in some of thecity’s most spectacularnight-time sights. Fundsraised through the event willhelp Fight for Sight fundpioneering research into theprevention and treatmentof blindness and eyedisease. Sign up today atwww.fightforsight.org.uk/carrots or call 0800 690 6140 formore information. Theregistration fee is £25 andsuggested minimumsponsorship, £150. n

Anniversary Gala Dinner,MAPO Fair 2011 took placeat the Kuala LumpurInternational Conventionand Exhibition Centre. Onopening the event, theMalaysian deputy ministerof domestic trade, co-operatives andconsumerism, YB Dato’ TanLian Hoe, conveyed hergrave concern about theproliferation ofunauthorised eyewearproducts at ‘pasar malam’(night markets),endangering the health ofthe public. She said it wasimportant that, apart fromstrict enforcement,consumers had to beeducated on theimportance of choosing

For the first time Malaysia’sbiggest optical fair, thetwo-day MAPO Fair,opened its doors to thepublic. Members of thepublic were invited toattend on the afternoon ofthe 23 April, during whichAlcon held a forumaddressing the issue ofcontact lenses dryness anddiscomfort.

Comprising of the 16thOptical Exhibition and 26th

26 dispensingoptics July 2011

Public health in spotlightat MAPO 2011

NES continues support for OA training

only quality products andservices, especially when itcame to health-relatedproducts.

There were 35 exhibitors thisyear, four of which camefrom overseas (Thailand,Singapore, Hong Kong andKorea). The unofficial salesfigure generated during theexhibition wasapproximately RM1.5m, withmore than 60 per cent ofthe sales generated by thelens manufacturers. Anoptical gallery was set upfor the first time so thatinterested exhibitors couldshowcase their products tovisitors. The colourful themeof this year’s gala dinnerwas ‘The sight of fantasia’. n

Following a successful initial pilotcohort, NHS Education for Scotland(NES) is continuing to support theprovision of an Optical Screening andOptical Care qualification in Scotlandin 2011/12 by again funding opticalassistants working within GOSregistered practices in Scotland.

The Worshipful Company of SpectacleMakers’ (WCSM) Level 5 Certificate inOptical Care qualification is approvedby the Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA). NES is funding the training thatleads to the qualification as part of acontinuing initiative that recognisesthe need for optical assistants, whoconduct important clinical tests in

optometric practices, to benefit froma more formal structure to theirlearning. The training, which will beconducted under the auspices of theWCSM Education Trust, will provideoptical assistants with hands-onexperience of up-to-date screeningequipment, and the backgroundknowledge which will enable them togive full support to the professionalmembers of the practice team.

The training starts in August 2011, andthe examination will take place inFebruary 2012. Each student will beallocated a distance-learning tutor towhich they will submit a weeklyassignment, and will also attend three

VIPs at the MAPO Fair 2011 Delegates at the MAPO Fair

separate one-day workshops that willbe run by highly experienced andprofessionally qualified staff. Bypassing the examination andachieving the WCSM Certificate inOptical Care, candidates will alsogain transferable educational creditswhich they may use to gain entry tocourses leading to even higherqualifications.

Numbers are strictly limited, and earlyregistration is advisable to ensureplacement. Further information maybe found on the WCSM website atwww.spectaclemakers.com, or bycontacting the administrator on 0207236 2932/8645. n

ABDO AGM16 November 2011

Royal Society of Medicine,London

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 26

Find out how the voluntarylevy from eye healthprofessionals supportsprojects benefitting thewhole profession via the newCentral (LOC) Fund websiteat www.centralfund.org.uk

The new site details bothcurrent and past projectsand initiatives, which havebeen set up thanks togenerous voluntarycontributions from opticalprofessionals.

Keith Chapple from theCentral (LOC) Fund said:“We are very grateful for theoptical profession’sgenerosity enabling us toregularly fund a wealth ofprojects including eye healthcampaigns and literature.Although we are acutelyaware of the financialpressures faced by LOCs, wehope some may considermaking a one off donationas they complete their endof financial year accounts.”

Newsbrief

The President’s diary

Jennifer Brower

Newsbrief

Directly after our wonderful25th anniversary luncheonin May, the generalsecretary and I wentstraight off to Heathrow tofly to Prague for the latestmeeting of the EuropeanCouncil of Optometry andOptics (ECOO). The eventalso showcased the EAOO– the European Academyof Optometry and Optics –set up to furthereducational excellencethroughout the membercountries. There were somegood lectures and postersessions, with CET points foroptometrists, but itappeared that none of theorganisers had thought toapply for CET approval fordispensing opticians!

Although the Health andSocial Care Bill has beendelayed, significantchanges to thecommissioning structure foroptical services are still setto go ahead. These

changes will affect every

optical practice in England

and services will depend

on locally negotiated

contracts. The Local Optical

Committee

Support Unit (LOCSU) is

producing advice and

guidance for the LOCs to

help them in local

negotiations and I cannot

stress enough the

importance of attending

meetings of your LOCs to

ensure that you have up-

to-date information and a

say in what is decided.

At the last President’s

Consultation Day, we

repeated the format of the

previous meeting with

reports on current issues in

the morning and an open

forum in the afternoon. The

forum highlighted some

diverse issues: the

importance of PR, the

production of patient

leaflets on topics ranging

from children’s eyecare to

the issuing of PD

measurements, orthoptist

screening of children’s

vision, the availability of

research grants to DOs,

supervision of unqualified

practice staff, and the ratio

of dispensing opticians to

registered optical

practices. These days are

open to all members and

offer a unique opportunity

to air your views. The next

one will be held on 16

November in London and

will include the AGM, so Ihope as many of you aspossible will be able toattend.

The general secretary and Irecently attended the Area 3 CET weekend. Thiswas a splendid event with acocktail party on Saturdayevening and a full day oflectures on Sunday, runalongside a mini exhibition.The Area 3 committee’swarm hospitality was muchappreciated and full marksare due to the team for avery successful weekend.

Congratulations to theCareers in Optics WorkingGroup, which has won anaward for Innovation inRecruitment, beating thelikes of Adidas, the RoyalBank of Scotland andNetwork Rail. The group,which includesrepresentatives fromABDO, the College ofOptometrists and the AOP,was established in 2010 toraise awareness ofoptometry and optics ascareer choices in schoolsand sixth form colleges,and since then it has gonefrom strength to strength.The role of the group’sambassadors wasfeatured in an earliercolumn but for furtherinformation emailnewdimension@college-optometrists.org

Jennifer Brower

ABDO Benevolent Fund If you know of a dispensing optician, or adependant of a dispensing optician, who mightbenefit from the ABDO Benevolent Fund, pleaseget in touch with Jane Burnand on 020 7298 5102or email jburnand@abdolondon.org.uk or write toher at ABDO, 199 Gloucester Terrace, LondonW2 6LD. n

New siteaboutvoluntary levy

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 27

LOCSU headleaves

Award for opticscareers initiative

Working Group team accepts its award

28 dispensingoptics July 2011

The Careers in OpticsWorking Group scoopedthe award for innovation inrecruitment at the recent2011 Recruiter Awards forExcellence.

A cross-sector initiative, thegroup was established in2010 to raise awareness ofoptics as a career choicein schools and sixth formcolleges, to stimulatefurther interest in theprofession and to target

specific regions whererecruitment challengesexist. Words&Pictures,educational experts whospecialise in bringingmessages to life for youngaudiences, was selected towork with the group todevelop and deliver theproject.

Following the awardsceremony held at London’sGloucester House Hotel,Professor David Thomson,

Georgina Gordon has lefther role as head of the LOCSupport Unit (LOCSU) toexplore opportunitiesoutside of the organisation.

“Georgina was the firsthead of LOCSU andbrought to the role awealth of expertise inclinical and generalmanagement gained fromboard level positions in anumber of majororganisations,” said astatement from LOCSU. “Wewould like to thankGeorgina for her valuedcontribution to the work ofLOC Support Unit and wewish her well in her futurecareer,” it concluded. n

The full April 2011 Optician Index report was published in the27 May 2011 issue of Optician.

• Practice turnover increased by 5 per cent on April 2010

• Turnover per eye examination went up by £1.80 from

last month to £150

• Total sight tests rise by 2 per cent from last month to

113 index points

• Sample average total dispensing up by 1.5 per cent

from March 2011 to 92 index points

• Contact lens new fits are 10 per cent higher than last

month and solution sales improve too

Gain real business value from benchmarking

Business Benchmarks is seeking to increase the number of

contributors, this will enable continued expansion of the

analysis provided to include regional and

independent/multiple comparisons. Every practice which

participates regularly, receives a free annual analysis of

their own performance against the sample data for the

last two years along with monthly reports. This gives you

the ability to see how your practice differs from the norm,

set realistic targets and performance goals, gain market

intelligence, maintain competitive advantage and identify

trends. Individual contributions of information are not

published in any form. Submissions may be made

anonymously and no data identifying the contributor is

held on the indices calculation database, hence

confidentiality is assured. If you would like the opportunity

to join the panel and benefit from measuring your

business performance against your competitors, please

contact Business Benchmarks by email at

l.hawkins@businessbenchmarks.co.uk, quoting the

reference ‘ABDO member’, or call 01622 260595, they will

get in touch with more details and explain exactly what

your practice gets out of this so you can make an

informed decision. n

Optician Index - April 2011 summary

chair of the Careers inOptics Working Group,said: “This awardacknowledges excellenceand recognises those whoembrace forward-thinkingideas. To receive thisrecognition fromprofessional recruiters istestimony to the quality ofthe group’s work.”

The group is currentlyfundraising for anationwide rollout and willshortly announce a seriesof training sessions acrossthe UK for ambassadors. Toregister your interest inworking as an ambassador,email newdimension@college-optometrists.org n

If you have a job vacancy in your practice, please remember thatthe Situations Vacant section in the Bulletin Board area ofthe ABDO website provides you with a quick and easy facility to

advertise completely free-of-charge. n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 28

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 29

EAOO fellowship forcharitable work

Myopia specs lauded atAustralian awards

30 dispensingoptics July 2011

Australian researchers havebeen lauded for aninnovative new spectaclelens that may help addressthe explosion in myopianumbers worldwide.

Developed by the VisionCooperative ResearchCentre (Vision CRC) basedin Sydney, the spectaclesare the first to demonstratean ability to slow theprogression of myopia inchildren. The spectacledesign, released in 2010 asthe Myovision lens by CarlZeiss Vision, won the 2011Excellence in InnovationAward at the recentCooperative ResearchCentres Association AnnualConference in Brisbane.

Professor Brien Holden, CEO

of Vision CRC, said: “TheVision CRC is greatlyhonoured to receive thistype of recognition from theCRC Association. Theassociation does a fantasticjob in supporting the CRCorganisations in their effortsto focus on deliveringinnovations. The commercialrelease of the Myovisionlenses, offering treatment tomyopic children, is I believea vindication of theimportance of the CRCProgram to promotingAustralian innovations.Without the programme it isunlikely that this technologywould have beendeveloped.”

Read more about theprogramme atwww.visioncrc.org n

It is the first time felllowshipprogramme has beenawarded by EAOO andKaren commented: “It is anhonour to become one ofthe European Academy’sFounding Fellows and berecognised for supportingthe work of Vision AidOverseas in their efforts toeliminate avoidableblindness and help theworld to see.”

Karen has been a VAOsupporter for six years andhas led numerous volunteerprogrammes to its partnercountries, including fourprojects to Zambia. Thismonth, Karen will be teamleader to a projecttravelling to Uganda. She ispictured above, secondfrom the left. n

Association of Optometrists(AOP) education advisorand Vision Aid Overseas(VAO) member, KarenSparrow, has beenawarded a fellowship bythe European Academy ofOptometry and Optics(EAOO) for her outstandingservices to the charity.

Karen travelled to theAcademy’s recentconference in Prague andalong with six others wasawarded the fellowship byEAOO president, Dr FeikeGrit. Karen submitted herfellowship application inthe areas of: provision ofvisual or wider healthcare,optometric education andmanagement of visualhealthcare in the UK andinternationally.

Fellowship for Karen Sparrow

The General Optical Council (GOC)has published a new protocolexplaining how it will deal withbreaches of the Opticians Act.

The protocol for the investigation andprosecution of criminal offences setsout when and how the GOC will dealwith individuals and businesses itsuspects of breaking the law.Offences that the GOC mayprosecute include selling contactlenses without the involvement of anoptician (including over the internet),testing sight while unregistered, falselyclaiming to be a registered optician

and selling zero-powered contactlenses illegally.

GOC director of regulatory services,David Howell, said: “We takebreaches of the Opticians Actextremely seriously and this protocolsets out the action we will take whenwe suspect the law has been broken.This may involve conductinginvestigations and bringing criminalprosecutions in appropriate cases,within the overriding objective ofprotecting, promoting andmaintaining the health and safety ofthe public. We have begun to apply

this policy, and in several cases thealleged activity has ceased followinginitial contact from us.”

The protocol is now available on theGOC website and sets out a fasterprocess by allowing the registrar todecide to pursue a prosecution,instead of a committee as previously.GOC staff recently attended theTrading Standards Instituteconference to raise awareness of theOpticians Act among tradingstandards officers.

To report a suspected breach of the Opticians Act, telephone theGOC on 020 7580 3898 and selectoption 2. n

GOC gets tough on illegal sales

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 30

Driving lenses to meetconsumer needs

Campaign underway for new lens

Action for Blind People(Action) and BootsOpticians have extendedtheir fundraising partnershipto the end of March 2012.

The original partnership,which began in July 2009,focused on supportingAction’s Actionnaires clubsrunning activities andproviding services for blindand partially sightedchildren aged four to 16.Boots Opticians will nowexpand its support tovisually impaired childrenand young people agedfour to 25, as well as theirfamilies.

Around 680 Boots Opticiansand D&A branches acrossthe UK have raised £164,000for Action. Regional activitieshave ranged from storeopenings and a fancy dressday in Wolverhampton to agruelling three-day cycleride between Loughboroughand Reading.

Stephen Remington, chiefexecutive of Action for BlindPeople, said: “Action is veryglad to be continuing itsinvolvement with BootsOpticians. It has been asuccessful venture so far,and aligns both with Boots’focus on eye health andAction’s passion for helpingreduce preventable sightloss. We greatly appreciatethe support andinvolvement from all theteams across the country.” n

Transitions XTRActive lensesare available in standardindex (1.50), polycarbonate(1.59), Trivex (1.53), 1.6 and1.67 materials in both singlevision and progressivedesigns. Like Transitions VIlenses, they are compatiblewith premium anti-reflective

A key feature of newTransitions XTRActive lensesis that they activate behindthe windscreen of a carreaching up to a category 2tint. Like Transitions VI lenses,the lenses block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.

Transitions XTRActive lensesare the fruit of advancedresearch of TransitionsOptical’s R&D, which consistsof a team of 80 researchersand product developers. Thenew proprietary technologythat activates thephotochromic dyes in thelower spectrum of visiblelight, in addition to UV light,allows the lenses to darkenbehind the windscreen of acar.

“Transitions XTRActive lensesare not intended to replaceTransitions VI lenses but theyare a range extension thatresponds to certainconsumer needs,” said MattDorling, business director,Transitions Optical NorthernEurope. “These innovativelenses are a new choice forpatients who place astronger value on superioroutdoor darkness or whodrive a lot. By offering moreeyewear solutions toconsumers, we’re confidenteyecare professionals willcontinue to grow theirbusinesses and increasesales of photochromiclenses by appealing to moreconsumers, whilst achievingpatient satisfaction.”

coatings and hardcoats. Acomprehensive marketingcampaign, including neweducation and point-of-salematerials, has been initiatedto help practitionerspromote the lenses. Visitwww.transitionsnet.co.uk orwww.TransitionsXTRActive.com n

Multipleextends Action support

Newsbrief

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 31

Photochromic lenspromotion

Smart optionfor SV lens

University of Aberdeen researchers areto examine the success of offeringfree eyecare services in Scotland.

In March 2004, the Scottishgovernment announced a review ofeyecare services in Scotland, whichculminated in the introduction of freeeye examinations from 1 April 2006. Ateam of economists from theUniversity of Aberdeen, led by DrAlexandros Zangelidis, will investigatethe success of the policy, whichaimed to encourage a wider use ofoptometry services and regular eyeexaminations. It was also argued thatthere would be a reduction in waiting

times and lists for patients who requirereferrals to hospital eye services dueto more people being seen in thecommunity.

The year-long project, funded by agrant of £43,034 from the ChiefScientist Office, aims to establish thedegree to which the stated objectivesof the policy have been met, and toexamine people’s response to thepolicy. Researchers will explorewhether more people now have theireyes examined, whether individualsfrom certain socioeconomic groupsresponded more to the policy, and ifpatients’ spending on eyecare goods

Special prices on ColorMatic IQ

32 dispensingoptics July 2011

Rodenstock is running a promotion on its new ColorMaticIQ ‘intelligent’ photochromic lens until the end of July.

Designed to support independent opticians, thepromotion includes the full range of light reactiveColorMatic lenses at highly competitive net prices, inaddition to no remote edging or glazing charges – evenwith supra or rimless frames. High quality merchandisepacks are available for practices to effectively promote itto their patients.

ColorMatic IQ is said to boast the fastest lightening, verylow base adsorption rate of just eight per cent and‘perfect’ UV 400 protection properties. It also has a wideand attractive colour range. n

has changed. Data from a largeprivate ophthalmic opticiancompany, operating primarily in theNorth East of Scotland, and from theBritish Household Panel Survey will beused.

An exploratory pilot study hasindicated that since 2006, at least onethird of the population of Scotlandhave had an eye examination; theproportion of the Scottish populationhaving an eye examination increasedfrom 31.5 per cent in 2008 to 33.4 percent in 2009, and to 34.2 per cent in2010. The results of the study areexpected to help in prioritisinggovernment health expenditure inrelation to free eye examinations inScotland. n

Did Scotland get it right?

Don’t become unhinged . . .

Shamir’s Smart Single Vision(SV) lens is now available toorder with As-Worn (AW)Technology.

Smart SV AW is said toaccommodate the way apatient wears their frame bycalculating three distinctmeasurements: back vertexdistance; pantoscopic tilt;and face form angle.Submitting these threemeasurements along withthe patient’s prescription

allows Shamir’s Presciptorsoftware to adjust theprescribed prescription tobetter suit the patient.Besides personalisation,Smart SV AW’s advantageto patients is said to be itsaspheric/atoric rear surface.In addition, the design isproduced consistently in allmaterials.

“We offer the most superiorprogressive lens solutions onthe market and we wantedto extend this commitmentto superiority to the singlevision market as well,” saidPhil Bareham, Shamir UKgeneral manager.

For more informationtelephone 01954 785100 oremail info@shamirlens.co.uk n

Is assembling spring hinges giving you a headache? Dibble Optical believes it has theanswer with the easy-to-use spring hinge assembly kit made by German manufacturer,B&S. Supplied in a handy storage case, the three-piece kit contains everything necessary to assemble or disassemble temples with spring hinges in less than a minute. For furtherinformation call Dibble Optical on 01634 880885 or email info@dibbleoptical.co.uk n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 32

Sightsavers Wanderersdo their bit

Greg and Ken put in some trainingStudents providing vision care

Newsbrief

A team of five fromSightsavers recently tookpart in the Martin CurrieRob Roy Challenge,walking and cycling 55miles through the SouthernHighlands in aid ofSightsavers, the NSPCCand Alzheimer Scotland.

The ‘SightsaversWanderers’, whichincluded Sightsavers’director of finance,planning and operations,Ken Moon, raised morethan £1,000 prior to theevent. Ken, who took part

in the challenge for thefirst time, was joined bytrustee, Mike Chilton,operations director, GregCollins, and friendsKenneth Carr and PhillipHall.

Money raised by thechallenge will enableSightsavers to transformlives in Africa and Asia.

Last year 589 participants,supported by over 100volunteers, raised morethan £315,000 for charity.www.sightsavers.org n

Despite the current economicdifficulties, members of the NationalEyecare Group (NEG), one of the UK’slargest purchasing groups forindependent opticians, have shownthere is still an important role for strongindependents.

Last year, NEG saw the average spendfrom its members increase by 12 percent compared to the previous 12-month period, making the 2010/2011period the best in the group’s 32 yearsof supporting UK independents.

NEG director of business development,Phil Mullins, said: “We are delightedwith this performance; it really showsthat independent practices such asthose owned by our members can besuccessful even in the most difficult oftimes. NEG members have shown thatby spending more time with each

Cardiff students togive sight

NEG membersbucking the trend

Year Booknow available

patient, you can develop greaterloyalty, a more educated patientbase and patients willing to spend toreceive high quality service andproducts.”

NEG, established in 1979 under itsprevious name Percy Kirk Ltd,represents almost 900 independentpractices across the UK, many ofwhom have been members for morethan 20 years. As well as negotiatingpreferential terms with the leadingoptical suppliers, NEG providesmembers with a single consolidatedmonthly invoice for all purchases putthrough the group, making it easier formembers to control their accounts,saving both time and money.

For more information about NEG, visitwww.nationaleyecare.co.uk or emailp.mullins@nationaleyecare.co.uk n

Ten students and five fullyqualified optometrists fromCardiff will take part in theRomania and MoldovaVision Project this summerthanks to a grant of £2,000from Optometry Giving Sight(OGS).

The project, which has beenrunning for nine years,extended into Moldova lastyear and has alreadyprovided 10,000 people withvision care. The studentsaim to provide vision care tomore than 2,000impoverished people of all

ages; spending time inorphanages, churches andschools.

Juliet Ashwell is currently inher second year ofoptometry at the universityand will participate in theproject this year. She said:“It’s a very excitingchallenge and we’regrateful for the financialcontribution from OptometryGiving Sight. It will help ussignificantly improve qualityof life for thousands ofpeople.”www.givingsight.org n

More than 30 new products aredetailed in the 2011 edition of theAssociation of Contact LensManufacturers’ (ACLM) Contact LensYear Book. The recently publishedguide lists technical details for all thecontact lenses, solutions and materialsproduced by ACLM membercompanies, and covers theoverwhelming bulk of productsavailable in the UK. More than 60 oldertechnology products have beenremoved from this year’s edition.To obtain a copy of the Year Book,download an order form fromwww.aclm.org.uk. Those whosubscribe by direct debit will receive a25 per cent discount each year.Alternatively, join the British ContactLens Association and receive a freecopy as part of the membershippackage. Visit www.bcla.org.uk or call020 7580 6661 to join. n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 33

One million turn tovision test app

Award-winning lensesmaking their mark

Justin Rocyn-Jones Lenses adjust behind the windscreen

34 dispensingoptics July 2011

Around one milliondownloads of Essilor’s VisionTest app have been madesince it was launched in July2010 as part of thecompany’s ‘Live life in theclear’ eyecare campaignencouraging people to visittheir local optician forregular sight tests andadvice.

The free app features fourvision tests that assess if theuser has a colour defect,tests the user's visual acuityand also incorporates aduochrome test. It alsoanswers eye-relatedquestions and providesinformation on HD TV. Theapp, which is compatiblewith all iPhones, iPod Touchand the iPad, also locates

the user’s nearest opticianeither to the current locationor by postcode. The onlinetest asks users to answer sixquestions and, dependingon the responses, adviseswhether the user should visittheir optician for a full eyeexamiantion.

Justin Rocyn-Jones, Essilor’shead of marketing, said:“Most people are busy andmany either forget theyhave had a reminder fromtheir optician to have theirvision tested or ignore theletter because they haven’ttime to go. These quick,online tests are proving verypopular and enable peopleto decide quickly if andwhen they need to have afull eye test.” n

Transitions Optical and Younger Optical are busycommunicating the benefits of Drivewear Transitions SOLFXafter it was named Lens Product of the Year at this year’sOptician Awards.

Designed for demanding drivers looking to enhance theirvision, Drivewear Transitions SOLFX are unlike fixed tintsunglasses in that they adjust their degree of darkness andcolour according to light conditions. This is possible thanksto advanced Transitions photochromic technologycombined with a high contrast polarising technology fromYounger Optical. The lenses are said to be the first of theirkind on the market to be able to adjust to light and cutglare behind the windscreen of a car.

In low daylight conditions, the lenses have a high contrastgreen/yellow colour designed to maximise useful lightinformation reaching the eye. In average sunlightconditions, the lenses turn to a copper colour to removeexcess light and provide good traffic signal recognition;highlighting the reds and greens. In bright sunshine, thelenses reach a deep brown colour to maximise filtration ofexcess light so that the eye does not get saturated. Formore information, visit www.drivewearlens.com n

The study also showed that nodifferences were observed betweensubjects wearing the one-day lens andthose wearing spectacles for all keybiomicroscopic scores. This was withthe exception of conjunctival staining,where the recorded grades were solow that they were not consideredclinically relevant, said the company.

Lead author of the study, Dr PhilipMorgan, enrolled 72 non-contact lenswearers (neophyte) subjects who were

then randomised into two parallelgroups, one of which wore 1•DayAcuvue TruEye contact lenses, leavingthe other group as the control whowore their spectacles. Comfort wasmeasured five times a day via a SMSmessaging technique during the firstfive weeks of lens wear. Maskedinvestigators assessed the subjects’ocular physiology by regularbiomicroscopic examination over a12-month period. Variables assessedwere conjunctival and limbal

hyperaemia, corneal and conjunctivalstaining and papillary conjunctivitis.

David Ruston, director of professionalaffairs for Johnson & Johnson VisionCare in Western Europe, said: “Wedecided to put our best product1•Day Acuvue TruEye to the ultimatetest by comparing it to the naked eye.The results speak for themselves andwe are absolutely delighted to havedeveloped a one-day disposable lensthat practitioners can offer theirhealth-conscious patients and havethe confidence that it will maintainnormal physiology as well as offeringthe best in class UV protection.” n

Study shows lens as good as ‘naked eye’Johnson & Johnson Vision Care has released results of an independent 12-monthclinical study showing that wearing 1•Day Acuvue TruEye contact lenses is, froma physiological and comfort perspective, the same as not wearing a contactlens at all.

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 34

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 35

Ethiopian DOs receive tools of trade

36 dispensingoptics July 2011

Area 2 (North East): Despitesnow, show goes onOn a very cold winter’s daylast November, Area 2 heldits annual CET event at theVillage Hotel, Leeds North.Free of charge for ABDOmembers, the day was agreat success – althoughseveral people had to headoff home early due toheavy snow falling.

We were delighted towelcome 10 exhibitors andthe day attracted 5 CETpoints; lectures coveredmyopia control, ‘workstyle’dispensing, how to boostyour business and athought-provoking andenlightening talk by IanJordan on specialist andcomplex lens prescribing.The sponsors were Hilco,CooperVision, CIBA Vision,No7 Contact Lenses, Nikon,Hoya, Maui Jim, Johnson &Johnson Vision Care,Younger Optics andSilhouette. Many thanks toall of our speakers, sponsors,exhibitors and Areamembers who braved thehorrendous conditions tosupport us.

This year’s event will take

place on Sunday 2 Octoberat the Village Hotel, LeedsNorth. We hope to offer 7.5CET points and the day willbe free of charge to ABDOmembers. We are pleasedto be welcoming back IanJordan for a further talk onspecial needs and visionincluding dyslexia, dyspraxiaand autism. Kevin Gutsellfrom Nikon will talk aboutintolerance to progressivelenses, while arepresentative fromCharmant will discuss thefeatures and benefits oftitanium frames. StephenGolding will explore theworld of low vision and weare hoping for a talk aboutpathology.

A paediatric dispensingposter quiz will runthroughout the day, as wellas an exhibition; confirmedexhibitors so far includeNikon, Charmant, Silhouetteand CooperVision. ABDOCollege will also be therewith a selection of texts fromthe ABDO Bookshop; this willbe a great opportunity fordispensing students to comealong, get some adviceand treat themselves to thelatest books.

We hope members will showsupport this event and lookforward to welcoming themto what we hope will be aninformative and worthwhileday. An application form forthe event will be sent to allArea members soon. Forearly booking, please emailcetsunday@hotmail.comReport by Emma Ward, Area2 secretary

Area 11 (London): Fantasticline-upHave you booked yourplace yet for the LondonArea CET day on 25September at the HolidayInn, Bloomsbury? A fantasticline-up has been organisedwith presenters includingAndy Hepworth, Kim Devlin,Martin Russ and GinaNikolov. Topics will covermarketing, sports lenses,contact lenses andspectacle lenses. RaviKhakria has some greatideas to share on trimmingcosts from your business,and Angie Reed will explainsome smart ways to‘negotiate the benefits’ withpatients. Do not miss out onthis great package ofpresentations, the chance

Area newsto earn CET points, networkwith colleagues and visit theexhibition.

All this and a three-courselunch costs only £30 perperson. Book now and save£5. Call Hishu Monji on 0207837 3276 or emailhishumonji@yahoo.co.ukReport by Ian Anderson,Area 11 chairman

Area 12 (Scotland): Food forthoughtArea 12’s CET day, held on15 May at the TreetopsHotel in Aberdeen, wentvery well with 27 delegatesattending.

The speakers and topicsprovided plenty of food forthought for attendees andincluded: ‘21st century AR’by Suzy Stonehouse ofEssilor; ‘Drivewear: a newlens category’ by JulianWiles of Younger Optics;‘See at all distances,whatever your lifestyle:occupational lenses’ byMark Culshaw of Hoya LensUK; ‘Non tolerance toprogressive lenses’ by KevinGutsell of Nikon Optical;‘Reviewing silicone hydrogeltorics’ by Mark Chatham ofCooperVision; and ‘Age-related maculardegeneration’ byindependent optometristSteve Whittaker speaking forNovartis.

The day’s sponsors wereEssilor, Younger Optics, HoyaLens UK, Nikon Optical,CooperVision and NovartisPharmaceuticals UK. We’dlike to say a big thank youto all of our sponsors andmembers who showed theirsupport in attending theday.Report by Brenda Rennie,Area 12 secretary n

Supporting DOs in Ethiopia

Some of the first of Ethiopia’s home-traineddispensing opticians, supported by VisionAid Overseas (VAO), received their first‘tools of the trade’ from Hoya recently.

The UK lens company donated PD rulers,lens cleaning products and other supportmaterials to the group of second-yearstudents at Hawassa University Hospital,200 miles south of Addis Ababa.

Part of the VAO team, David Hollander,who practises in New Malden, Surrey, said:“This is the first group of students to betrained at this university in the southern partof the country. Serving some 60 million

people, which is around three quarters ofthe population, it is very rewarding as weare helping them to build a basis so thatthey become self-sufficient in eyecare.” n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 36

Disjointed jottings from a DO’s desk . . .

For DO Gillian Twyning,starting her own practice hasbeen a nerve-wracking butworthwhile experience

In at the deep end

lens specification so she could buy

cheap contact lenses from an internet

site (I actually heard the optometrist’s

chin hit the floor with that one). It does

make me wonder if patients actually

read the information on these sites, or

maybe they are simply blinded by the

prices. A friend and fellow DO recently

pointed out a certain website with

several spelling mistakes including a

misspelling of pupillary distance; I will

leave that one to your imagination.

Until these websites are policed

properly, all we can do is correct their

mistakes, have our chance to shine

and show patients why they should

buy their spectacles from us.

Unfortunately, until that time it’s the

patient who suffers the most by being

left with unsuitable, ill-fitting eyewear.

Listen to your patients

One thing I have learned over the

past 18 months is not to be shy of

promoting my practice and myself. I

have tried different marketing

strategies but find the best results

come from direct mailings. We are

also using anonymous customer

service surveys. It’s always nice to hear

positive comments, but it’s equally

important to listen to negative

feedback as this allows us to fix any

problems our patients are

encountering. Following up on the

bad surveys is always tough as no-one

Gillian Twyning

It’s now 18 months since I took the

plunge and opened my own

independent practice. It’s been a real

rollercoaster ride but I’m so glad I did

it. I would encourage anyone who has

the passion and the drive to just go for

it, especially if it is an independent

practice. The whole process has been

a huge learning curve, and has given

me a different perspective to my

normal day-to-day duties as a DO. For

the first 12 months I didn’t sleep

properly; I also double if not triple

checked every decision made and

inwardly panicked a little about

everything. I am glad to say I am now

more relaxed – still learning every day

but taking things more in my stride.

As the owner of an independent

practice, you’re not restricted by

company rules and procedures. This

allows you to go that extra mile a little

more easily, and give your practice

DO the chance to shine. This is not to

say that DOs in multiples don’t go the

extra distance, it’s just far easier when

you make the rules yourself. As an

independent, you don’t get bogged

down with the ever-changing

promotions that the larger multiples

offer. Patients these days are more

commercially aware, and it is hard not

to despair when you hear that certain

supermarket opticians are offering

prescription spectacles for a mere £10.

As DOs, this is where we need to be

brave and stand our ground – but

how?

Value your offering

We can all offer our patients budget

products, but we shouldn’t start trying

to compete with those selling

spectacles for £10 or contact lenses

over the internet. I don’t see the point

of making a loss on a patient with

contact lenses just in case they might

buy a pair of spectacles or sunglasses.

We must never undervalue our time,

our optometrist’s time or our support

staff’s time. This is where raising

awareness of the role of the

dispensing optician in practice comes

in. Most people don’t know what a

dispensing optician does or the

benefits of being dispensed products

by someone qualified. Unfortunately,

there will always be room in the

marketplace for cheap or budget

spectacles, or the buy-one-get-one-

free offers.

Consumers like bargains (don’t we all),

however, patients are very aware that

cheap spectacles may not be as

durable – knowing that they are

getting what they pay for. My concern

is that consumers are becoming more

aware of internet sites selling

spectacles; recently a contact lens

patient asked me for her GP contact

Continued overleaf

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 37

38 dispensingoptics July 2011

CET answers: Ophthalmic prisms: part two dispensing options

1. What is the prismatic effect produced by a +4.00D lens at

a point 10mm above and 3mm out from the OC?

a. 4∆ base DOWN and 1.2∆ base OUT

b. 4∆ base UP and 1.2∆ base IN

c. 4∆ base DOWN and 1.2∆ base IN

d. 4∆ base UP and 1.2∆ base OUT

c is the correct answer. Using Prentice's Rule, the vertical

component is 1cm x +4D = 4.00∆ base down, the horizontal

component is 0.3cm x +4D = 1.2∆ base in.

2. Which of the following is a limiting factor for the

decentration of a lens to induce prism?

a. The lens power

b. The lens blank availability

c. The amount of prescribed prism

d. All of the above

d is the correct answer. a, b and c will all effect the

maximum amount of decentration possible, along with the

size of the frame.

3. Which statement is NOT true of bicentric (slab-off) lenses?

a. Either the more minus lens should be worked, or both

lenses, to produce a pair of bicentric lenses

b. They have a partially visible line extending across the

whole width of the lens

c. Minus lenses often result in a reduction in edge thickness,

while plus lenses become thicker

d. Plus lenses often result in a reduction in thickness, while

minus lenses become thicker at the edge

d is the correct answer. a, b and c are all true of

bicentric/slab-off lenses, while d is false

4. Which statement is FALSE regarding the use of different

segment sizes?

a. The smallest round segment bifocal available in the UK is

15mm

b. This is an expensive method to use compared to the

others discussed

c. The largest round segment bifocal available in the UK is

45mm

d. This method is best suited for plus prescriptions

b if the correct answer and is the false statement. If fact the

use of different sized segments is a relatively cheap method

as standard lenses are used, so no additional surfacing is

needed at the lab.

5. Which bifocal option can be used to correct prism in any

direction?

a. Slab-off

b. The use of different segment sizes

c. Solid Round Prism Controlled

d. Setting one segment lower than the other

c is the correct answer. Slab-off and the use of different

sized segments can only correct vertical prism.

6. Which statement about Fresnel prisms is false?

a. They can be used to correct large amounts of prism

b. They have good durability so are an ideal choice for

prismatic correction

c. They can be cut to cover either all or part of a lens

d. They have poor cosmesis and can reduce visual acuity

b is the correct answer. The other three statements are true,

while b) is false as Fresnel prisms have poor durability.

After the closing date, the answers can be viewed on the 'CET Online' page of www.abdo.org.uk. To download, print or save your

results letter, go to 'View your CET record'. If you would prefer to receive a posted results letter, contact

the CET Office 01621 890202 or email cet@abdo.org.uk

likes criticism, but the majority of

patients appreciate having the

opportunity to give their views and it

makes them feel like they are getting

a personal service and being listened

to. Often when patients are unhappy

they are far too embarrassed to come

back or say anything at the time.

Feedback surveys open the door for a

second chance to prove ourselves; I

would highly recommend carrying

them out especially if, like me, you buy

an existing practice. You may not be

doing things wrong, just differently –

this then propels the business to review

how it is doing and to solve any

problems before they occur.

As a practice owner, you are able to

source the right products for the best

margins, which will hopefully lead to

greater patient satisfaction and

practice growth. Do shop around and

try different manufacturers. There are

plenty of suppliers out there who are

less well known than the big names,

but who are supplying equally

fantastic products. I have a handful of

manufacturers I use which, for me, tick

all the boxes – including great

customer service, great quality

products and the right price. It can be

a bit scary changing patients to a

different contact lens brand or lens

manufacturer, as many will have a

certain product in their mind that an

optician has previously told him or her

about. However, with a bit of gentle

guidance and persuasion the majority

of patients will be more than happy to

give something different that you

recommend a try.

If you do decide to take the plunge

and open your own practice, don’t

forget the most important thing of all is

to achieve a good work/life balance.

It is so easy to be consumed with a

new business, so remember there is life

outside the practice. If you feel you’re

up to the challenge and you don’t

mind long hours and hard work, being

a practice owner can be demanding

and stressful – but ultimately very

rewarding.

Gillian Twyning FBDO, runs her own

practice in Nottinghamshire, is an

ABDO practical examiner and a

trustee of ABDO College n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 38

dispensing for sport’ and Martin Russwill help build your practice businesswith a talk on marketing skills, CETpoints, Holiday Inn, Bloomsbury. Forfurther details contact Hishu Monji on020 7837 3276 or emailhishumonji@yahoo.co.uk

September 29 - 2 OctoberSilmo, Paris Nord Villepinte. For furtherdetails visit www.silmo.fr

October 2Area 2 (North East) - CET event,speakers include Ian Jordan, KevinGutsell and Stephen Golding, plus apaediatric dispensing poster quiz andan exhibition, free-of-charge forABDO members, Village Hotel, LeedsNorth. For further details emailcetsunday@hotmail.com

November 16ABDO - President’s Consultation Day,the Medical Society of London,Lettsom House, 11 Chandos Street,London W1G 9EB. For details contactJane Burnand on 020 7298 5102 oremail jburnand@abdolondon.org.uk

November 16ABDO - AGM and Benevolent FundAGM, Medical Society of London,Lettsom House, 11 Chandos Street,London W1G 9EB. For details contactJane Burnand on 020 7298 5102 oremail jburnand@abdolondon.org.uk

November 23ABDO Graduation and Prize GivingCeremony, Canterbury Cathedral,Canterbury, Kent n

The Professional Journal of the Associationof British Dispensing Opticians

Volume 24 Number 2

EDITORIAL STAFFEditor Sir Anthony Garrett CBEAssistant Editor Barbara Doris BScProduction Editor Sheila HopeEmail shope@abdo.uk.comJournal Consultant Ann JohnsonEmail ajohnson@abdo.uk.comNews Editor Nicky CollinsonEmail ncollinson@abdo.uk.comAdministration Manager Deanne GrayEmail dgray@abdo.uk.com

ADVERTISEMENT SALESTelephone 01892 667626Email do@abdo.uk.com

SUBSCRIPTIONSApply to Katie DockerABDO, Godmersham Park, GodmershamKent CT4 7DTTelephone 01227 733902Email kdocker@abdo.org.uk

ABDO CETCET Coordinator Paula Stevens MA ODE BSc

(Hons) MCOptom FBDO CL (Hons) AD SMC(Tech)

ABDO CET, Courtyard Suite 6, Braxted Park,Great Braxted, Essex CM8 3GATelephone 01621 890200Fax 01621 890203Email pstevens@abdocet.infoman.org.ukEmail pstevens@abdo.org.uk

CONTINUING EDUCATION REVIEW PANELJennifer Brower FBDO (Hons) LVA Cert Ed

Andrew Cripps FBDO (Hons)

Richard Harsant FBDO (Hons) CL (Hons) LVA

Angela McNamee BSc (Hons) MCOptom

FBDO (Hons) CL FBCLA Cert Ed

Elvin Montlake FADO (Hons) CL LVA FFDO

Linda Rapley BSc (Hons) FCOptom Cert Ed

Alicia Thompson FBDO (Hons) SLD SMC(Tech)

JOURNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEENick Atkins FBDO (Hons) CL

Richard Crook FBDO

David Goad FBDO (Hons) CL

Kevin Gutsell FBDO

Ros Kirk FBDO

Angela McNamee BSc (Hons) MCOptom

FBDO (Hons) CL FBCLA Cert Ed

Gillian Twyning FBDO

Dispensing Optics is published byABDO, 199 Gloucester Terrace, London W2 6LD

Dispensing Optics is printed byLavenham Press, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9RN

© ABDO No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means whatever without the

written prior permission of the publishers

Dispensing Optics welcomes contributions forpossible editorial publication. However,contributors warrant to the publishers that theyown all rights to illustrations, artwork orphotographs submitted and also to copy whichis factually accurate and does not infringe anyother party’s rights

ISSN 0954 3201

Average circulation 2007: 8526 per issue - ABDOBoard certification

dispensingoptics

www.abdo.org.uk

July 4Independents Day 2011 (ID 11) -keynote address ‘I’ve upped my sales– now up yours!’ by Andy Edwards,National Motorcycle Museum,Birmingham. For details visitwww.independentsday.co.uk

July 7No7 Contact Lenses - ‘Manage yourdry eye patients with confidence’educational day, free to attend, CETaccredited, No7’s training centre,Hastings, East Sussex. For furtherdetails visit www.no7contactlenses.co.uk/events or phone 01424 850620

July 12No7 Contact Lenses - ‘Irregularcornea day’, free to attend,Contamac Training Centre, SaffronWalden, Cambridge. For furtherdetails visit www.no7contactlenses.co.uk/events or phone 01424 850620

July 25No7 Contact Lenses - ‘Speciality CLday’, free to attend, Manchestercentral. For further details visitwww.no7contactlenses.co.uk/events or phone 01424 850620

August 4No7 Contact Lenses - ‘Beyond thelimbus’, free to attend, London W1.For further details visitwww.no7contactlenses.co.uk/eventsor phone 01424 850620

September 25Area 11 (London) - CET day, talk byGina Nikolov ‘Eye protection and

dispensingoptics

www.abdo.org.uk

The Professional Journal of the Associationof British Dispensing Opticians

Volume 26 Number 7 of 12

EDITORIAL STAFFEditor Sir Anthony Garrett CBEAssistant Editor Jane BurnandProduction Editor Sheila HopeEmail shope@abdo.uk.comFeatures and News Editor Nicky CollinsonEmail ncollinson@abdo.uk.comAdministration Manager Deanne GrayEmail dgray@abdo.uk.com

ADVERTISEMENT SALESTelephone 01892 667626Email do@abdo.uk.com

SUBSCRIPTIONSUK £100 Overseas £110, including postageApply to Tom VetiABDO, Godmersham Park, GodmershamKent CT4 7DTTelephone 01227 733922Email tomv@abdo.org.uk

ABDO CETCET Coordinator Paula Stevens MA ODE BSc

(Hons) MCOptom FBDO CL(Hons)AD SMC(Tech)

ABDO CET, Courtyard Suite 6, Braxted Park,Great Braxted, Essex CM8 3GATelephone 01621 890202Email pstevens@abdocet.infoman.org.ukEmail pstevens@abdo.org.uk

CONTINUING EDUCATION REVIEW PANELKeith Cavaye FBDO (Hons) CL FBCLA

Andrew Cripps FBDO (Hons) PG Cert HE FHEA

Kim Devlin FBDO (Hons) CL

Stephen Freeman BSc (Hons) MCOptom FBDO (Hons) Cert Ed

Abilene Macdonald Grute FBDO (Hons) SLD (Hons) LVA

Dip Dist Ed Cert Ed

Richard Harsant FBDO (Hons) CL (Hons) LVA

Andrew Keirl BOptom (Hons) MCOptom FBDO

Paul McCarthy FBDO PG Cert HE FHEA

Angela McNamee BSc (Hons) MCOptom

FBDO(Hons)CL FBCLA Cert Ed

Edwin Moffatt FBDO

Linda Rapley BSc FCOptom

Susan Southgate FBDO PG Cert HE FHEA

JOURNAL ADVISORY COMMITTEENick Atkins FBDO (Hons) CL

Richard Crook FBDO

Kim Devlin FBDO (Hons) CL

Kevin Gutsell FBDO

Ros Kirk FBDO

Angela McNamee BSc (Hons) MCOptom

FBDO (Hons)CL FBCLA Cert Ed

Dispensing Optics is published byABDO, 199 Gloucester Terrace, London W2 6LD

Dispensing Optics is printed byLavenham Press, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9RN

© ABDO No part of this publication may bereproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means whatever without thewritten prior permission of the publishers

Dispensing Optics welcomes contributions forpossible editorial publication. However,contributors warrant to the publishers that theyown all rights to illustrations, artwork orphotographs submitted and also to copy whichis factually accurate and does not infringe anyother party’s rights

ISSN 0954 3201

Average circulation 2010: 8753 per issue - ABDOBoard certification

ABDO members are welcome to attend Area meetings in any area they wish

Diary of events

Colour as fashionstatementSilhouette has joined the leading style and fashion

trend experts in fully embracing the power of colour

with its new Colour Waves eyewear collection.

The collection comprises of six rimless models, which

can be dispensed to a variety of shapes and sizes

according to patient choice. The asymmetrically

shaped SPX temples are available in the bold colours

of Sweet Honey, Fresh Green, Power Red and Cool

Blue. More reserved colour combinations include

Trendy Grey and Young Pink.

Silhouette brand director, Andreas Aschauer

Martinelli, said: “Particularly when the light shines

from a certain angle on the ultra light SPX temple

arms and illuminates the strong colours, Colour

Waves comes alive – transforming from eyewear into

a fashion statement.“ Visit www.silhouette.com n

DO July 2011 LPL_1 17/06/2011 10:00 Page 39

The Progressive lens for wearers from the Indian subcontinent

Anateo® Jeevan

Thankfully, people around the world are not all the same. The physiology of people from the Indian subcontinent, like its culture, is unique – so why settle for Progressive lenses developed for generic Western eye types, anatomy and lifestyles?

Using the data from a year-long survey conducted among 37,000 patients in Chennai and Bangalore, Anateo® Jeevan has been created to satisfy 3 key visual requirements of presbyopes from the Indian subcontinent.

Eye Anatomy

Facial Anatomy

Ergonomics

Unique. Just Like You.

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