Transitions helps ECPs reach out, offers Xperio promotion

Pinellas Park, FL-Although a majority of independent eye-care practices actively participate in charitable activities, only 25 percent report that they provide education as part of their programs, according to the results of recent research.

“Every interaction with a patient provides an opportunity to educate on the importance of protecting vision,” said Mary O’Hara, regional giving officer and associate marketing manager, trade communications, Transitions Optical, Inc. “Especially during vision screenings, which result in a historically low rate of follow-up care.”

Of the practices participating in charitable activities, 60 percent of survey respondents said they provided eyewear to patients, followed by 55 percent who said they provided eye exams, and 41 percent who provided vision screenings. Challenges for doing more charitable work included lack of time, budget, volunteer participation, and educational materials, the results indicated.

The survey was conducted by the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund, a resource for eye-care professionals (ECPs) who are looking to enhance, expand, or initiate a charitable program in their practices. The fund has provided educational resources and financial support to optical industry professionals since 2008 through grants exceeding $1 million. The fund’s recently revamped website also can be used by ECPs as an education resource for raising awareness for healthy sight.

The site features informational and interactive sections to help patients understand their vision. It also includes printable educational materials, tailored to an individual’s self-assessment results. ECPs also can find tips on developing a community outreach program and links to the philanthropic materials and programs developed by Transitions Optical.

In other developments, Transitions Optical, along with KBco, announced a new promotion to provide ECPs a chance to win a pair of Xperio Transitions performance sun lenses, which are ideal for outdoor visual performance.

The polarized sun lenses are available in polycarbonate and adapt to changing light conditions, improve contrast, and reduce blinding glare from sunlight reflected off the surface of objects, water, or snow. They are available in single-vision prescriptions ranging from -10.00 D to +6.00 D in gray and in PAL ranging from -10.00 D to +6.00 D with 1.00 D-3.50D.

During the month of August, ECPs can learn more about the lenses at Transitionssunwear.com/Xperio by taking a brief quiz, which will then be their contest entry.

For more articles in this issue of InDispensable, click here.