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HOUSTON—A recently launched patient journey shaping tool has been introduced to Vision Source practices. SmartBook and Frame Dream have teamed up to create a new integration between their platforms which delivers patients a personalized, modern, intuitive journey, the organization said. Vision Source noted that these “weave together their digital and in-person eyecare experiences while helping practices increase capture rate and per-patient value and reduce in-office selling time.”

It starts when a patient books an appointment through SmartBook. The patient will receive an automated email inviting them to preview eyewear ahead of their appointment, guiding them through a simple questionnaire (if desired) to help curate a selection of flattering and functional frames to browse. The patient can then designate “favorite” frames and send their selections to their doctor, who will be able to view selections and appointment information in one unified dashboard.


Vision Source members with SmartBook who participate in Frame Dream Premium get exclusive features, including automated Smartbook communications that drive patients to pre-select frames before their in-office visit, exclusive access to PreView, a mobile-friendly frame selection portal with enhanced search and filtering options to help patients with their selections.

In-office patient experiences are customized and enhanced, as practices are able to preemptively pull “favorited” frames to have on-hand when the patient arrives. And practices realize time savings as both optical staff and the patient start with a good idea of what will work best for the patient.

Vision Source reports that participating practices have seen:

• A near 100 percent capture rate when patients pre-shop frames and share their selection with their doctor.

• A 15 percent increase in capture rate when patients engage with the framedream browsing platform (whether or not they send favorite selections to their doctor) versus average patients.

For many independent practices, Vision Source pointed out an integrated, automated patient communication and optical browsing platform such as this would be cumbersome to set up and manage, and would be potentially cost prohibitive. “Providing tools which offer independent practices a way to differentiate themselves and create delightful patient experiences is one of the ways we look to be an invaluable partner to our customers,” Vision Source said.

Dr. Alex Martin, Martin Eye Associates, Sanford, N.C., said, “Exclusive tools like PreView by SmartBook have helped make running my optical even more efficient. The ability to let patients pre-select frames before their appointment has helped my optical staff streamline the selection process by pulling frames for the patient before they arrive for their appointment. My capture rate for the patients who engage with the PreView site before their visit has been close to 99 percent.”

Added Dr. Michael Siegel, Vision Source of Mt. Olive, in Mt. Olive, N.J., “PreView by SmartBook and Frame Dream has allowed our patients to see our frame gallery ahead of time and narrow down what they want; our patients get to “shop” ahead of time resulting in better frame styling, easier frame selections, as well as more multiple pair sales as the patient realizes they need different glasses for different parts of their life.”