Optometry practices are taking many precautions to reduce the spread of any disease in their practice, especially due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. While PPE can protect your staff and patients, how do you ensure that surfaces and your dispensary stay sanitary?
It can be more difficult than you think because certain cleaning solutions can damage your frames, especially if they contain alcohol or bleach. Another thing you have to consider is what guidelines your customers should follow to promote the sanitation of your products.
We have been researching to collect the most creative and affordable ideas opticians have implemented to keep their frame board as touch-free as possible. Let's share a few with you here.
How to Keep Your Eyecare Products Sanitized
Customers
A good place to begin is requiring that all customers wear gloves. Before they put on the gloves, provide automatic-dispensing hand sanitizer as well. If opticians and patients follow these guidelines, you've reduced the need for excessive sanitizing. If customers want to know how you're keeping them safe, you can create an infographic or flyer to post on your wall listing all the precautions you're taking in your office. This also provides great social media content to get patients feeling comfortable enough to come into your practice.
Frame Board
Include wipes for use between try-ons as well as posting a message that all frames are disinfected (with dish soap and water or spray) after each use. If you want a more long-term solution, including a written "frame board guide" or ipad with inventory can be helpful to reduce the need for too many try-ons. If you have any way of digitizing your inventory, this will be helpful in the long-term for your practice or for the implementation of an ecommerce platform.
Contact Lens Fittings
Conducting I/R training for new contact lens wearers can be tricky if you don't have a space where you can be 6ft away. As long as you have adequate PPE (masks, shields, gloves, etc) and you're refusing to accept patients with symptoms, you should be safe. You can even have the patient sign an agreement that they understand the procedure requires the risks of close proximity and contact. However, it doesn't hurt to give patients the trial lenses, solution, and a few effective Youtube videos like this one. This can help limit the time you spend helping with insertion and removal to under 15 minutes.
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