A third of optical practices are planning to invest in new technology in the coming year with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and imaging continuing to be the drivers and Optrafair the possible place to buy.
According to exclusive research by Optician on behalf of Birmingham Optical Group, 38 per cent of independent practices and 17 per cent of multiple practices are intending to buy equipment in the next 12 months.
Top of the shopping list for practices are fundus cameras (26 per cent), OCTs (23 per cent) and pachymeters (20 per cent). A further 12 per cent said they intended to buy digital imaging equipment. The most popular way to pay for these purchases was lease (46 per cent), cash (36 per cent) or through a loan (18 per cent).
Of the 300-plus practices quizzed on their intentions to visit Optrafair next year, half (49 per cent) of independent practices said they would be going along, with 22 per cent of multiples. Just 17 per cent of practices said they wouldn't be going and 38 per cent had yet to decide. Four per cent of respondents had not heard of the exhibition.
Among those intending to be there, 80 per cent were interested in seeing high-tech equipment with OCT, imaging, pachymeters, field screeners, topographers and auto phoropters heading the list of equipment of interest. The same equipment heads the list of instruments practitioners intend to buy at Optrafair.
Interest in imaging remains high, despite the research revealing that over two thirds (66 per cent) of practices already had a fundus camera. The demand for OCT comes from a much lower base with just 10 per cent of practices currently having the technology.
Topographers are owned by just 5 per cent of multiple practices, while only 33 per cent of independents have an autorefractor.
Other popular technologies include field screeners (91 per cent) and tonometers which are owned by 89 per cent.
As well as the thumbs up for Optrafair, the research also highlighted the power of magazines such as Optician. When asked which sources they used to find out about new optical technology, 83 per cent said optical magazines. Mailshots, at 16 per cent, and email marketing, at 9 per cent, were the least preferred options.
The full findings of the research will be published in a forthcoming issue of Optician.
