Albuquerque Pediatric Ophthalmologist Grows His Practice with Spot

LAKE MARY, Fla., April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a world where technological advances occur very quickly, keeping an eye on improvements in vision screening equipment has helped build a thriving practice for New Mexico pediatric ophthalmologist Kenneth Adams, DO.

Doctor Adams moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico four years ago.  Since arriving, he has experienced various vision screening technologies, either through referral from local Lions Club chapters or other devices used in a clinical setting.  When opening his own office, the pediatric ophthalmologist wanted to ensure he had the latest technology that would make a difference for both his patients and his practice.

Adams acquired a Spot vision screener from PediaVision. Spot has helped him build his practice, make his staff more efficient and most importantly, identify patients with vision issues.  "We really like the fact that Spot is portable," said Adams, whose staff now uses the vision screening device as part of their regular screening procedure. "Spot provides the results instantly and there are no wires hanging from it, so it's easy for my staff to take it around the office for screenings. It has a long battery life and it's quick."

Like most ophthalmologists, Dr. Adams relies on his staff to conduct vision screenings in the office.  Chastity Escobedo is a certified ophthalmic assistant and lead ophthalmic manager at the practice. She says the kids respond much better to Spot than other devices.

"The way I present it to the children, I tell them I am taking a picture of their eyes, because Spot looks like a camera," said Escobedo, who uses Spot in conjunction with the eye charts for screenings.  "The kids are always excited because it's like having their picture taken. When I conduct the screening, they hear the birds tweeting and like the sound it makes."

Having been in business for only a year, finding ways to build the practice is important to Dr. Adams and his staff. 

"Spot has become a great practice building tool," said Adams. "I think it's a tremendous vision screening device and it helps generate business for us. 

"When we conduct screenings with our young patients, we offer free screenings to their siblings as well. When they learn about this, often times they will bring the entire family. They get it for free and everyone loves something for free. By screening them with Spot, we identify an average of three to five siblings a week who need an eye exam."

Identifying Critical Vision Problems

The willingness by siblings to have the screening done has helped identify more critical eye problems.

"It's very common for a child who has amblyopia or strabismus to have a sibling with a similar vision issue," said Adams. "So if we identify one of our patients with either problem, we will offer a free screening to their siblings and often find they have a concern as well."

Through this approach, the Albuquerque ophthalmologist is able to help them determine if there is a vision problem, which usually results in new patients.  Everyone wins.  Dr. Adams also offers free screenings at schools and churches in the area to extend this patient outreach in his community.

"It's a nice marketing tool," said Adams, whose staff takes pride in providing quality personal care at the office and in the community. "I took it to two schools last month and screened about 500 kids and it only took a few hours. To screen that number of kids with an HOTV eye chart, it would normally take days and require a much larger team."

Adams said 15 percent of the kids he screened with Spot needed follow-up care.  So far, more than 20 children have become new patients.

About Spot

The breakthrough vision screener Spot was recently introduced into the market and can assess the vision of anyone from 6 months through adult with accuracy, while delivering immediate comprehensive objective results. 

Spot has an incredibly quick capture time of one second or less which makes screening equally efficient in a physician's office or large-scale public screening. The WiFi enabled handheld device makes vision screening as easy as using a camera. Spot's touchscreen interface clearly displays the results accurately and instantly. 

About PediaVision

PediaVision, inventor of the Spot vision screener, is dedicated to solving the critical problem of undiagnosed vision problems and transforming the lives of thousands of children each day. Automated and objective vision screening empowers organizations in public health and private medicine to positively affect the outcomes of a child's education performance.

Supported by ophthalmologists, optometrists, scientists and leading technology innovators, the Spot vision screener is breakthrough technology and represents what vision screening should be.  For more information, including how to order Spot, please visit www.pediavision.com. 

SOURCE PediaVision