Business at the BCLA

Clinical excellence, charging for professional time and understanding the patient are at the heart of compliance, reduced drop outs and retention – delegates at the British Contact Lens Association conference in Birmingham heard last weekend.

A common theme, centred on nurturing a medically-based relationship between patient and practitioner, arose throughout a range of presentations in the commercial and business stream of the conference. US speakers Jack Shaeffer and Kirk Smick presenting in the Global Contact Lens Forum, a partnership with Vision Expo, said following the medical model was the only sustainable way forward for eye care. 'The best way to retain your patient is to know what is happening clinically,' said Shaeffer. The duo said all of the three big drivers of drop out – cost, compliance and convenience could be addressed through strong clinical care. This should combine prescribing the best lenses and solutions and sensibly-funded, regular care to head off problems before they arose. 'The first thing you should do if you are using the medical model is to wear rubber gloves,' said Shaeffer.