The owners of a Melbourne practice find that their new Optos Daytona has made a big difference in their optometry business, on both the bottom line and in top-line health for their patients.
Mr Ethan Ong and Mr Ivan Au are businessmen.
When they saw the opportunity to open an optometry practice in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, they did the numbers. And they liked what they read.
“While our backgrounds are rooted in finance rather than optometry, we recognised the significant potential within the optometry industry,” says Ong.
Attracted by high margins and a chance to work in a quasi fashion/healthcare industry, they saw a growing demand for vision care and the potential for a strong recurring revenue stream.
“So when a prime location in the heart of the shopping street became available, it was an opportunity too tempting to ignore.”
That was almost 20 years ago.
Since then, the partners behind independent Eyemax Optical have become qualified optical dispensers to support the work of their two in-store optometrists.
And they have developed a passion for not only the numbers but also the duty of care that comes with managing a patient’s eyesight and the myriad conditions that can impact their vision.
The practice serves a diverse range of patients.
“Our optometrists do more than just prescribe glasses,” says Ong. “They care for patients ranging from young children needing myopia management to those requiring management for various eye conditions. Those conditions include glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.”
The pair were wearing both their business and clinical lenses when they considered buying an Optos Daytona ultra-widefield retinal scanner to offer a better level of service for the patients.
“We trialled a couple of other machines,” says Ong, “but we found that the Optos was the most user-friendly, offering the most advanced software and capabilities.”
The Optos Daytona, like its sister devices Monaco and Silverstone, can capture approximately 82% of the retina, and its ultra-widefield imaging technology allows for a 200-degree scan that delivers a clear, more detailed image – known as an optomap – in less than half a second.
Also, Optos has recently expanded its technology, with up to 10 imaging modalities available across all its platforms, including the recent addition of optomap colour red, green blue laser (rgb), natural colour and blue fundus autofluorescence.
Because of this and other functions, Ong and Au were happy to invest in the machine, but they were further impressed by the purchasing options currently available.
“The Optos could be acquired without impacting our balance sheet, which was fantastic for us as it frees up capital for other investments that we believe will benefit our practice.”
At the time of writing, they’d had the machine barely three months but were already noticing a return on investment, for the business and their patients.
The Optos is a major upgrade on their previous fundus camera and comes with a great deal more quality and functionality.
That has allowed their optometrists to see the retina in greater depth, detail and breadth, meaning they are picking up issues with patients’ eye health that they might have missed before.
“Our optometrists are now able to detect pathologies that might have been missed with other equipment or scans, allowing them to document, record and identify the early onset of many conditions more effectively,” says Ong.
“The advanced software capabilities will also enable our optometrists to compare and overlay images, allowing them to track changes in a patient’s eyes over time more accurately.
“We’ve been able to pick up a few retinal tears that our other camera would not have because it doesn’t have that wide-angle view.”
Patients too have noticed the significant upgrade and have been willing to pay more for the scans.
“Once we explain the importance of the retinal image, what it can reveal, what conditions we can detect, and how we are able to document the changes in their eyes, the patients understand the benefits and are happy to pay for this service.”
And they are keen to tell friends and family as well, which is important in a competitive market where half-a-dozen other optometrists operate close to the Eyemax store.
Ong emphasises the importance of setting themselves apart from other practices.
“One of the key reasons we chose Optos was to differentiate ourselves by offering a more comprehensive service for our patients,” he says. “It’s a point of difference that has been a game-changer for our practice. It has greatly benefited our existing clientele, and we see significant growth potential in it.”
Part of that potential lies in forging stronger relationships with other healthcare professionals in the area.
“There are many avenues to explore,” he says. “For example, we can collaborate more closely with GPs and offer additional services, particularly in managing diabetic retinopathy, AMD and other eye-related issues.
“We’ve also been able to share scans with ophthalmologists and GPs, which has made the process of communication much easier for everyone involved.”
What has made integrating the Optos Daytona even smoother for Ong, Au and their team is the support provided by the company, which has an Australian subsidiary based in South Australia.
“Our experience with Anton, our representative, and the entire Optos team has been exceptional,” says Ong. “They handled the installation and provided in-depth training, which was outstanding. There’s also a dedicated helpline for ongoing support.
“As Optos only focuses on retinal imaging, I think what Optos has managed to do is to differentiate itself from other companies. Their focus on service and support is exceptional and their commitment to delivering the highest quality product shows.
“An example of their level of commitment is that software upgrades are provided for the life of the equipment.”
He recommends Optos to other optometry practices because “offering a better service to existing clients, capturing superior images, improving patient documentation, and detecting various pathologies and the early onset of diseases is crucial for delivering high-quality patient care and management in any practice”.
To those considering both the bottom line and the top-line health of their patients, it’s a “no-brainer”.
More reading
A strong business case for Optos ultra widefield imaging
Why these two Australian optometrists invested in Optos ultra-widefield imaging
Optos celebrates technological and research milestones
