Today's patients expect convenience and immediate results, and contact lenses meet that expectation in ways spectacles cannot replicate. More than 45 million people in the United States currently wear contact lenses.1
A 2026 analysis found that contact lens patients are substantially more profitable than spectacle-only patients.2,3 For practices weighing where to direct clinical and operational resources, contact lens care represents a growth opportunity that remains underutilized in many offices.
The financial case for contact lens care
Materials profitability averages $200 more per patient for spherical and toric contact lens wearers, and about $100 more per patient for multifocal lens wearers, compared with progressive spectacle wearers.2
Contact lens patients also carry a higher capture rate than spectacle-only patients, driven in part by the annual prescription renewal cycle most states require. Examination revenue follows the same pattern: contact lens exams generate 39 to 48% more revenue than spectacle-only exams.3
The contact lens market is on the rise and currently worth an estimated $12 billion in 2024 and has a projected growth of 4% in 2025.4 A study revealed that 59% of patients purchase their contact lens supply from the practice while only 38% purchase online.4 These statistics not only debunk that most contact lens wearers are purchasing their supply online and also proves how contact lenses are a great revenue builder.
This revenue advantage does not require expanding patient volume. A practice can build a stable revenue base around a smaller, well-managed contact lens population rather than relying on continual increases in patient load, a shift that also reduces the burnout associated with higher-volume scheduling.
The data point to a clear conclusion: efficiency in the contact lens workflow is now a business necessity, not an optional refinement.
Building a high-performance workflow
A high-performance workflow depends on a team using one standardized protocol and consistent communication. That protocol has to reflect the specific needs of the practice; a generic template will not match its actual patient flow. Standardization also limits disruption when outlier cases arise, since staff have a repeatable process to fall back on.
One useful organizing principle: utilization of the power of three from psychology—limiting each role to three core duties and repeating key patient instructions in the same form more than once over the course of the visit. This is a heuristic approach to a documented clinical finding. Patients tend to retain instructions better when they hear them consistently from multiple team members rather than once which reduces callbacks and repeated chair time.
Defining roles across the care team
The workflow begins before the patient arrives, with the pre-visit phone call that takes place outside of the office.
The receptionist confirms the patient's current lens modality, verifies up-to-date insurance including the vision plan information, and identifies the reason for the visit before the patient walks in. Identifying the reason will categorize the schedule into new fits, established/annual fits and refits or contact lens recheck.
It is recommended to group or limit the different types that are paired together to avoid schedule bottlenecking. The collected information is relayed to the technician in a brief handoff during the patient’s visit, for example: "Patient X is here for a contact lens exam. They're currently wearing monovision lenses and would like to use their material benefits today."
The technician uses open-ended questions rather than yes/no questions to gather detail, then verifies that information directly with the patient during the workup. Duties include obtaining all testing applicable to examination, detailing any visual concerns with the current lenses including highlighting the risk for contact lens dropout, and assisting the doctor with appropriate tools for lens selection.4
A focused, three-question framework keeps this efficient: "How long have you been wearing monovision? Is your vision clear at all distances? Would you like to talk with the doctor about newer lens technology available to you?"
The doctor verifies the information collected by the technician, troubleshoots any visual concerns, and educates the patient on proper handling and use of the lenses prescribed at that visit. This division of labor keeps chair time efficient without compromising care quality.
Keeping roles objective
There are necessary evils that help us gain control wherever we can and keep the flow streamlined. In our world of convenience, digitizing all forms is a useful method. It eliminates any human input or communication errors that could happen in all levels of staff.
The receptionist should gather all in-take forms from the patient that can ask what current lens modality the patient is wearing. This ensures proper placement within the schedule flow. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) could review the forms to highlight the contact lens issues in advance and help confirm if the right appointment was scheduled for that patient.5
The technician uses all the objective testing applicable for the category of contact lens examination such as auto-refractor, keratometry, topography and any questionnaire that provides more information about the patient’s contact lens habits. SPEED and CLDEQ-8 questionnaires can help highlight issues the patient may be too shy to say during the examination.
The SPEED questionnaire will define any underlying ocular surface disease that will cause the patient not to be a successful fit. The CLDEQ-8 questionnaire could help highlight which patients are a potential risk for contact lens dropout.4
Figure 1: Image of a sample Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 (CLDEQ-8).
Figure 1: Courtesy of Robin L Chalmers et al.
The doctor should utilize fitting calculators in the exam lane and electronically submit for any contact lens trials through a communication portal. A good utilization of AI could be capturing patients that have not rescheduled to finalize their prescription and compute a task list for the doctor to review.5
These changes to a more objective approach allows for more standardization to take place without feeling too clinical.
Cross-training keeps staff engaged
There are proven studies that show a 50% increase in revenue if menial tasks are taken from the optometrists and applied to the technician's list of duties.6 The cross-training keeps the staff busy and invites a collaborative spirit in turn boosting staff efficiency.
The receptionist can check the inventory of the contact lenses fitting trials and order any additional lenses that are not stocked in the office. Another utilization of AI could be flagging patients that will need to replenish their contact lens supply.5
The technician can assist the doctor with the lens selection by pulling available trials or indicating if the lens will need to be ordered, handling insertion and checking visual acuities with the lens and time management of the clinic with the doctors.4
The doctor should keep the flow moving by seeing another patient in-between insertions, reviewing additional testing that was utilized for the visit, and finalizing contact lens prescriptions on the same day if applicable.
Open communication is a large component of a high-performance workflow and an in-office messaging system will keep the clinic moving. Most messaging systems come with little to no cost, such as Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and local area network (LAN) messengers, that could be available on all the computers in the office.6
Leveraging manufacturer fitting tools
Manufacturer fitting guides and online calculators are the most useful tools for troubleshooting soft contact lens fits, and bookmarking them saves time during the visit. Options include the ACUVUE Fitting Calculator, MyAlcon FittingHub, and CooperVision Practitioner.4 These tools convert vertex distance, flag whether a patient needs an astigmatism-correcting lens, and suggest a starting near power for presbyopic patients.
Multifocal lens manufacturers provide comparable fitting guides, which succeed in optimizing distance or near vision on the first attempt in 96% of cases.7 Rigid gas-permeable lenses, hybrid lenses (e.g., Synergy), and scleral lenses require more complex fitting.
For these, empirical fitting to the closest available parameter, combined with the manufacturer's fitting kit to confirm final parameters, is the most efficient approach.7,8 A corneal topographer supports this process by providing objective measurements and photo documentation that can be reviewed later if time is limited.7
A designated area outside the exam lane for lens insertion and removal training helps prevent bottlenecks during high-volume periods. Manufacturer lab consultations are also available for fits outside a practice's typical scope. The time invested in these tools upfront reduces the need for lens refits later and keeps the schedule open for additional patients.
Standardizing patient education
Consistent messaging from multiple team members reinforces patient education and reduces confusion after the visit. Instruction should cover three points: wear schedule, cleaning and disinfecting protocol, and how to reorder replacement lenses. The doctor introduces this information at the end of the exam, the technician reinforces it if additional training is needed, and the optician or checkout staff confirms it before the patient leaves.
A standardized script supports this consistency:
"Hi Patient X, the doctor has instructed that your lenses be worn daily, without sleeping in them overnight, and replaced every day. Use this cleaning solution only if you experience an issue with the lenses during wear, and remove the lenses before applying it. Contact us if the issue persists. Lenses are available in 30- or 90-day supplies, with a full annual supply consisting of four boxes per eye. Your insurance plan will cover up to [X] toward that supply."
Scripts should be reviewed periodically and updated as the lenses a practice prescribes change, and a current price list should be accessible to all staff.9
Training materials from manufacturers, including insertion and removal videos, can be sourced through a practice's contact lens sales representative and used to standardize instruction without added staff time. Reviewing scripts regularly, and keeping them free of jargon, ensures instructions stay clear as practice needs evolve.
The visit concludes at checkout, where the optician or front-desk staff member repeats the key education points, confirms the reorder process, and asks about the patient's experience:
"Hello Patient X, how was your visit today? The doctor has recommended daily lenses, replaced each day and not worn overnight. An annual supply is four boxes per eye, totaling [X] after your insurance allowance. You can reorder through our system, or call us directly. How would you like to proceed today?"
Pausing after delivering this information, and maintaining a calm tone throughout, helps patients absorb the details without feeling rushed.
Digital ordering and inventory management
Seamless lens ordering, whether during the visit or afterward, supports patient retention. Several digital platforms support this, including Dr. Contact Lens, MARLO by Alcon, Arrelio, and Opal by Bausch + Lomb.9
A newcomer to the digital platform will be provided by Johnson & Johnson’s ACUVUE Shop and is said to be released in mid-September. These systems let patients reorder without calling the office and send automatic reminders when a patient's supply or prescription is due for renewal; some manufacturers also offer revenue incentives tied to prescribing volume.
Because lenses now ship directly to patients rather than being stocked in-office, digital inventory platforms such as ABB Optical's Abby and Eyefinity eBuy have become standard for tracking trial and in-office stock.10
Some, including ABB Optical, offer scanning tools that flag which trial lenses need replenishing. Assigning this task to a technician or checkout staff member, on a set review cadence, keeps the office adequately stocked.
Building toward a sustainable workflow
Every practice has the potential to build a high-performing contact lens workflow. The process starts with a protocol tailored to that practice's specific needs and detailed enough for every staff member to repeat consistently.
Identifying inefficiencies early protects both revenue and the patient experience, and the opportunity is substantial: each contact lens patient can generate roughly $200 more per visit than a spectacle-only patient.2
When a staff member cannot perform an assigned duty, that responsibility should shift to another team member, or the underlying protocol should be revised. This approach limits redundancy and creates a natural check on the system.
Tracking key metrics, including patient capture rate, exam length, inventory turnover, and reorder conversion rate, helps a practice identify where the workflow needs adjustment.6,9 Digitizing scheduling, ordering, and inventory processes, where it genuinely improves flow, supports that ongoing effort.5,10
Key takeaways
- Assessing where a practice can improve is the first step, and sometimes that means simply digitizing existing processes to increase patient access.
- Every team member should know their role and duties, supported by a written reference so any staff member can redirect a question to the right person.
- Manufacturer calculators and fitting guides make contact lens fits more empirical, saving time for both the patient and the doctor's schedule.
- Digitizing a workflow is worthwhile only when it reduces friction or addresses a known inefficiency; added technology alone does not improve care.
- A high-performance workflow should be revisited as the practice grows. A protocol that works today may need to change as patient volume and services expand.
