December 2, 2025
By Kevin Chan, OD, MS, FAAO, IACMM
In last month’s editorial, I discussed the not-so-rosy aspect of navigating uncertainties in the perfect storm, particularly when pragmatic optimism can sometimes be clouded by availability bias for launching ophthalmic lenses as part of the armamentarium for myopia management. I received a few comments that inspired me to think deeper regarding this topic.
Prescribing glasses for patients is arguably a daily inevitable duty and responsibility by all practitioners. It is virtually an “expected” practical goal for patient care and also building business growth in every optometric practice. Nevertheless, if clinicians used the same script or mimicked the same strategies for children who need myopia management that they do for addressing presbyopia or other vision needs, I can assure you that you and your staff would likely be overwhelmed in this perfect storm of an “optical extravaganza.” Or, you wouldn’t be able to find the right footing, and you’d ultimately fall flat in the sea of optical opportunities. Isn’t it paradoxical?
Learning From Past Mistakes
To make business growth robust and scalable for launching ophthalmic lenses for myopia management, some practitioners mistakenly celebrate growth solely based on optical sales, or confidently uphold the “I can sell” mentality.
A similar obstacle may have resonated with some practitioners or consumers when Google seemingly found an ambitious “moonshot” opportunity of launching Google Glass for consumers a decade ago. The lofty goal of revolutionizing everyday technology through wearable smart glasses fell flat and was unfortunately discontinued from the consumer market in less than a year due to exorbitant costs, marketing missteps and privacy concerns.1
More intriguingly, the public was confused and unclear about its core purpose and practicality. The parallel reality is that communication strategies that seemingly work well for baby boomers about bifocal or progressive glasses may not necessarily translate into direct success for children and parents. While it sounds great to have “another way of treating nearsightedness,” it may not be intuitive or resonate with most parents when they struggle to understand the clinical nuances of “peripheral defocus“ theory, or overarching purpose of myopia management via ophthalmic lenses becomes obscured or buried.
Apparently, the issue isn’t about the innovation or availability of new tools or products. Rather, it lies in finding the right communication, supported by the “trust fall” mentality among clinicians and staff members.
Strategies to Build “Trust Fall” Mentality
Building trust and rapport is fundamental to overcoming barriers and uncertainties to ensure proactive engagement with your staff. However, it doesn’t come out of the blue. As opticians and staff members are the cornerstone of every practice, developing an effective trust fall strategy requires the whole team to feel comfortable and vulnerable in uncertain circumstances.
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Accountable and Purposeful Communication:
Trust falls don’t actually build trust (although its intention does). It builds accountability instead. Providing clear and transparent communication is no longer enough; making communication with purpose and accountability can make a bigger impact. Encourage your staff to ask questions, or even have them challenge what is seemingly obvious about the new spectacle design to minimize blind spots. Also prepare opticians and staff members to reinforce the “why” of using myopia control ophthalmic lenses vs. conventional single vision lenses. Engage in a purposeful dialogue beyond vision correction for children and parents. Avoid setting lofty goals but make them feel relatable for each child.
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Education for Emotional Resonance:
Staff can be reluctant or feel disengaged to advocate for myopia control spectacles for children because they can be implicitly biased, and they believe that selling glasses to children isn’t as profitable as for adult patients. Meanwhile, parents don’t act upon cognitive understanding but rely more on emotional relevance (i.e. Why does it matter to my child?). It is important to help staff and parents understand and develop intrinsic value, more than cost alone, of advocating for myopia management ophthalmic lenses to young patients. Consider providing myopia treatments to the children of your staff to create emotional resonance. Remember that staff training is not simply about the knowledge shared, but more about how to turn knowledge into genuine relatability and impact for patients.
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Change with Small Bites:
To incorporate new changes in the existing workflow, it can be tempting to fixate on a “go-big-or-go-home“ mindset. The goal of adding myopia control ophthalmic lenses isn’t meant to disrupt what already thrives in your practice, but to fill the voids of the current market and clinical demand. For example, instead of exhausting capital to outsource marketing campaigns to promote a specific product, try pivoting the mindset as a “line of treatment” instead. Identify a family or two with age-appropriate children each week. Dip deeper to understand what works and what doesn’t work specifically for your patient clientele (e.g. Asian or Caucasian-dominated market? Necessity or bogus in parents’ perspective? Parents’ acceptance toward global service fee structure vs. merchandise-based transaction?) Each uncertainty can lead to better clarity and direction for your practice growth.
The Elephant in the Room
As far as I can see, launching myopia control ophthalmic spectacles is currently the biggest “elephant in the room” that is far too difficult to ignore in the whole eye care industry. To make this innovation impactful for patients and your practice, practitioners should look past the notion of ‘just selling another pair of glasses.’ Indeed, the ROI of myopia control spectacles is built upon a more profound, intrinsic value as a treatment modality that matters to parents the most for their children’s vision for life. By doing so, the result can be much more impactful and long-lasting for building respect and loyalty to your practice.
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