Are optometrists who work at commercial establishments real doctors?
I take offense when patients walk into my exam room and tell me they have been getting their eyes checked at a commercial establishment, but now that they think they have problems they have come to see a “real” doctor.
This patient assumes that my being in a free-standing practice makes me, an optometrist, a real doctor while my colleague at a commercial establishment is not. I take offense to this because the doctor they had been seeing went through the same trials and tribulations that I went through to get the same degree I have. In my opinion, that doctor is as real as I am.
So why does this patient perceive the doctor at the commercial establishment as not a “real” doctor?
Here are 3 ways you control the patient’s perception:
- Look like one – First appearances are extremely important and can make or break a patient’s perception of you. Do you look professional in the way that you dress? It may be more comfortable to have a “jeans Friday,” but does it communicate professionalism? It may be more comfortable to wear those Tom shoes, but do they look like you’re headed to the cabin for the weekend?
- Talk like one – This may seem trivial, but I have witnessed doctors who are unprofessional and speak like they are with three of their best friends hanging out. Also, use medical terminology that differentiates you from a refractionist who is only concerned about the prescription for glasses or contact lenses. You should be educating your patients, telling them that the exam is part of keeping their eyes healthy for life. As you look behind the slit lamp, describe what you are looking at and what problems you are looking for (i.e. – “I’m looking at the surface of your cornea to determine if you have signs of dry eye.”) Also consider your staff–do they talk to the patient as though the patient is receiving medical eye care along with the prescription for glasses?
- Diagnose and treat like one – Many optometrists believe the only reason patients go to commercial establishments is for glasses. Don’t assume this. Instead, diagnose and manage their eye diseases so they perceive you as managing their medical eye problems. If you have them return for a dry eye check, use terms that would indicate they are returning for a “medical eye encounter.”
Patients will always believe what they want to believe and make their own choices. Like many marketing agencies will tell you, the choice of your words and actions make a huge impact on the way a person will perceive another person or service. If you feel you are a doctor by name but a refractionist by perception, then choose to change the impression you are giving your next patient.
