Clinical Scorecard: Exam Growth Is Cooling—Here's How Eyecare Practices Can Win

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• National comprehensive exam volume grew 6.7% over 3 years but annual growth rate dropped from +4.2% to +2.4%.
• Average exams per practice increased slightly but growth is flattening, equating to roughly 40 fewer exams per practice per year.
• Peak exam months are August and October; February consistently has the lowest volume.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Run a recall audit to identify patients overdue for comprehensive exams.

Management

• Use February, the slowest month, for patient reactivation or staff training.
• Plan staff schedules to accommodate peak months (August and October).
• Shift focus from patient acquisition to retention to maximize exam volume.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Calculate and monitor your practice’s year-over-year exam growth rate.
• Compare growth rate against the national average of +2.4% to assess performance.

Risks

• Practices with growth below +2.4% risk losing market ground and revenue.
• Relying on passive patient flow may lead to stagnant or declining exam volumes.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Patients requiring comprehensive eye exams across US eyecare practices

Proactive patient recall and retention strategies are essential to maintain and grow exam volumes amid slowing market growth.

Clinical Best Practices

• Conduct regular recall audits to identify and contact overdue patients.
• Leverage slow months for patient reactivation campaigns and staff development.
• Optimize scheduling and staffing around historically high-volume months.
• Focus on patient retention rather than solely on new patient acquisition.
• Actively manage the exam pipeline instead of waiting for patient-initiated visits.

References

• GPN Industry Insights blog