Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to fly the [un]friendly skies multiple times. I’ve flown from Chicago to Australia, to Ireland, to Montana, to Palm Springs, to… most of the USA, parts of Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada. One of the things I’ve noticed is that all of the airplanes I’ve been on were packed with customers! There wasn’t an empty seat anywhere. How do they do that? When was the last time an optometrists’ office was fully booked with patients? I figured that what optometry needs to do is to follow the Airlines Manual of Practice Management for Optometry!

1. Editorial
The Airlines’ Manual of Practice Management for Optometry
Dominick M. Maino, OD, MEd, FAAO, FCOVD-A
Editor
Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the mean their diagnosis). Your patient can choose the
opportunity to fly the [un]friendly skies multiple super economy, economy, business class or 1st class
times. I’ve flown from Chicago to Australia, to Ireland, categories. There are only a limited number of super
to Montana, to Palm Springs, to… most of the USA, economy and economy appointments available. The
parts of Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada. One of super economy appointments are the least expensive
the things I’ve noticed is that all of the airplanes I’ve and are scheduled from 5AM to 8AM in the morning
been on were packed with customers! There wasn’t an and from 10PM to midnight once a month. The
empty seat anywhere. How do they do that? When was economy slots are the same time, but scheduled
the last time an optometrists’ office was fully booked before the super economy seats and are available twice
with patients? I figured that what optometry needs a month. The business class pays full fare (I mean
to do is to follow the Airlines Manual of Practice examination fees) and can be scheduled Monday thru
Management for Optometry! Saturday 9AM till closing. The 1st class patients pay
four times your normal fees and can schedule an
Scheduling Patients appointment any time they want.
Patients should never After the super economy and economy
schedule appointments by patients make their appointments using
telephone. This takes up a great the internet and before they finalize
deal of your optometric office their appointments; they will be
staff time. The vast majority of given multiple opportunities to
patients should schedule their “upgrade” to business class or
appointments using the internet. higher. All appointments will
If they insist on talking to a real be held for the patient once
live person, you must charge them an they use their credit cards
additional fee. to complete the appointment
Appointments and Fee Structure process. Just before this occurs the patient
The hours available for appointments and will be given 5 more opportunities to “upgrade”.
the fees you charge for an examination should vary All appointments are final and non-refundable. All
according to what type of patient they are (and I don’t patients must be at your office 1-2 hours before their
appointment time. If they are not sitting in a chair
in your office 30 minutes before their scheduled
Correspondence regarding this editorial should be emailed to time, they have missed their appointment and must
dmaino@ico.edu or sent to Dominick M. Maino, OD, MEd, Illinois
College of Optometry, 3241 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL. 60616. All
reschedule. If the patient misses the appointment, all
statements are the author’s personal opinion and may not reflect the opinions fees are forfeit. All patients must remove their shoes,
of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, Optometry & Vision cell phones, computers and belt buckles prior to the
Development or any institution or organization to which the author may appointment and then must (as fast as they can) put
be affiliated. Permission to use reprints of this article must be obtained from
the editor. Copyright 2008 College of Optometrists in Vision Development.
them back on before the patients behind them trample
OVD is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals. Online access is them into the ground.
available at http://www.covd.org. If super economy, economy, business class and
1st class patients arrive at your office at the same
Maino D. The airlines manual of practice management for optometry.
Optom Vis Dev 2008;39(3):111.
time, all business and 1st class patients walk thru the
front door of your office upon a “red carpet”. Super
Volume 39/Number 3/2008 111

2. economy and economy patients must wait until all “eye glass maker person”. There are no non-stop
business and 1st class patients are in your office and routes available so the packages with the patients’ new
then must crawl on their hands and knees, kissing the glasses in them often make multiple stops along the
non-red, but moldy green carpet along the way. way. This means that a super economy or economy
Once the super economy and economy patient patient who orders a new pair of glasses in July won’t
arrives at your office, the appointment will often be have them available until some time in October of the
delayed or cancelled because of “weather” somewhere same year. (For some strange and unknown reason,
in the United States. The patient can then re-schedule most new glasses for these patients end up with a
their appointment….and they will also be given an lay-over in Denver! If the patient lives in Denver,
opportunity to “upgrade” their status to business class the lay-over frequently takes place in Atlanta.) All
or higher once again. Occasionally the appointment too often, when a patient’s new glasses arrive at the
may start (in airline speak, “pull away from the gate”) office, one of the temples is missing… usually it’s the
and this counts as a full super economy and economy one for which they paid the extra $15. At this time a
appointment even if the examination is not completed detailed form must be filled out, and once the temple
for up to six hours later. (The patient must stay in the is located the patient would be notified. The “eye glass
exam chair at all times, other wise the exam-chair- maker person” is only responsible for up to $.25 for
marshals may arrest the patient for not fully following any damage to the missing temple.
the examination attendant’s instructions.) Although first promoted by the “Used and New
Once the 5 minute 32 second economy ex- Car Dealership Guide to Practice Management
amination is completed (patients are taught how to do for Optometry”, the Airlines’ Manual of Practice
their own tonometry and dilated fundus examinations Management for Optometry now also recommends
in the privacy of their own homes), they can then pick that a “doc prep” fee be added to the total fee upon
out their new eye glasses. All frames are included in the the conclusion of each examination. This document
cost of the examination. They can pick out any type preparation fee may range from $50 to $150 or higher
of frame they want (as long as it is plastic) and any depending upon your electricity bill for that day or
color (as long as it is black). Each patient, however, the rate of inflation, whichever is higher.
must “dust off” any dirt on their vintage frames Finally, at the end of the examination, all doctors
themselves. If they want an office staff person to dust and staff must say, “We know you have many eye
off the dirt, there is an additional charge. If the patient doctors to choose from, so we thank you for choosing
wants more than one temple on the frame there is an XYZ Optometry to provide your eye and vision care.
additional $15 charge. Lenses can be chosen from any As I write this, I realize that I will soon be flying
that happens to be in the office. If the lenses need to the [un]friendly skies to an AOA meeting in June, a
be “customized” (say cut to fit the frame) there is an wedding in Pennsylvania in July, the COVD meeting
additional charge. If the power of the required lenses in October, and a speaking engagement in Oslo,
are outside the “normal range” available to super Norway in November. If I pick up any other good
economy and economy patients (-.25 to +.25) there is practice management tips along the way I will share
an additional charge. them in a future editorial… but it’ll cost you extra!
All eyeglasses for super economy and economy
patients must be routed through the “hub” of the
112 Optometry & Vision Development