When a patient visits your office for a routine eye exam, they walk in expecting a prescription update or maybe a new pair of glasses. What they are not expecting is a new diagnosis, especially one they have never heard of before.
That is exactly what happens when you diagnose dry eye disease.
For you, it is a logical next step in the exam. You see the signs. You know what treatments can help. But for the patient, it feels like a sudden turn. Instead of wrapping up their visit, they are now hearing about something called meibomian gland dysfunction and something else called IPL that sounds expensive and unfamiliar.
That gap in expectation creates tension. If you try to explain everything all at once, or worse, recommend treatment immediately, the patient may feel pushed. And when that happens, they shut down.
This is not a treatment conversation. It is a starting point.
Your goal in the exam room is not to close the loop. It is to open the door. Most patients will not commit to treatment in that moment, and they should not be expected to. What they need first is clarity. What is this condition? Why does it matter? Do I really need to do anything about it?
That is where strategy comes in.
Instead of overwhelming them with too much information, give them a simple introduction. You can say something like, “I’m seeing early signs of a condition called dry eye disease. It’s very common and treatable. I’ll send you a short video to explain what it is and how we treat it, so you have all the facts.”
Now the patient does not feel pressured. They feel informed. And that is the difference between someone who ghosts your office and someone who schedules a follow-up.
Use automation to educate outside the exam room
Most dry eye practices lose momentum after the diagnosis. Patients walk out and never get the education they need to feel confident in saying yes. That is where automated follow-up becomes a game changer.
Send a video within 24 hours. Keep it short, visual, and relatable. Explain what dry eye is, what causes it, and what can happen if it goes untreated. A few days later, send another video about treatment options. Introduce in-office technology like IPL and RF in a way that feels patient-focused, not sales-focused.
When you do this over time, something powerful happens. The patient starts to trust the message. They learn. They begin to see dry eye as a real issue worth addressing.
Your staff feels the difference too
With automated follow-up in place, your team no longer has to chase patients with phone calls or repeat the same explanation over and over. Instead, they can focus on answering real questions, booking real appointments, and improving the patient experience.
Better yet, automation lets you track engagement. You will know who watched the video and who didn’t, so your staff can follow up with the right patients at the right time.
Patients need time, not pressure
A comprehensive exam is not the place to sell treatment. It is the place to start a conversation that continues after the patient walks out. That conversation should be thoughtful, consistent, and supported by systems that help both your team and your patients.
When you create that kind of experience, patients feel guided instead of sold to. They trust you. They return. And more of them say yes to the care they truly need.
Want to improve how your practice communicates dry eye care?
Visit GetHoot.com/dry-eyes to learn how Hoot helps doctors educate patients, increase treatment acceptance, and scale their dry eye specialty with ease.