What to expect from your eye care experience at Doig Optometry
If having an eye exam is a new experience for you or if it’s your first time getting glasses or contact lenses, you might wonder what to expect along the way. In most cases, eyecare is a linear process. At Doig Optometry, we approach your eye care experience a little different in that we take a collaborative approach where all individuals contribute to the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Along the way, the staff and doctors are encouraged to work together, collaborate, and bring their creativity, intuition, and care for the benefit of our patients. That’s why all of our staff are trained in each procedure – so we can rely on each other’s strengths and come together to support each other.
Booking an appointment with Doig Optometry
When you are ready to book an appointment, the staff at Doig Optometry will help find a time that’s convenient for you. Be sure to set aside one hour for your first appointment at Doig Optometry. You’ll need to provide the following information when you book with us:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
- Date of Birth
- Alberta Health Care Number
You will also be asked a few questions about your vision care needs so we can book the correct type of appointment for you. If you wear glasses or contact lenses or would like to, please let the staff know when you book your appointment. If you have concerns about cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes, or any other condition that can affect your vision, please tell the staff when you book your appointment. This will help us book the right amount of time for the tests needed.
After you’ve booked your appointment, the staff will ask if it’s okay for us to email you our patient intake forms.
Here’s what you need to know about our patient intake forms:
- They take about 10-15 minutes to fill out.
- You can email the completed forms back to us or bring the completed forms to your appointment.
- If you can’t fill the form out before your appointment, please plan to arrive 15-20 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to complete them.
What do I need to bring for my appointment?
You will receive a phone call from the staff at Doig Optometry the day before your appointment to confirm that the appointment time still works well for you. On the day of your appointment, be sure to bring:
- If applicable, your insurance information that we can direct bill for you.
- Your patient intake forms
- Any eyeglasses you currently wear
- Your contact lenses and any information about your contact lenses, along with the blister pack (it has most of the information needed)
- Your medications list if you have not listed your medications on your form
- Your phone
When do I need to book an eye exam?
If you are healthy and have no eye-related symptoms, a yearly eye exam is generally recommended. If you experience or learn of the following, it’s important that you book an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible:
- Diabetes or high blood pressure
- Your vision worsens or becomes inconsistent
- You’ve sustained an eye injury A family history of eye disease
- You’ve started a job that poses hazards to the eyes
- You’ve been prescribed medication that has eye-related side effects
- Allergy symptoms increase, such as itchy or watery eyes
What tests are done during an eye exam?
Before you see Dr. Doig or Dr. Chorel, the staff will perform a few of the preliminary tests that are necessary for your eye exam. These preliminary tests will take about 20 minutes and include:
Verification and analysis of your current eyeglasses
Bring them with you so we can tell you if they are adequate or if they need to be updated.
Recording your current contact lens information
Bring your contact lens blister packs or the boxes as these have most of the information your eye doctor needs.
Fundus Photographs
These are photographs of the macula, the optic nerve, and the blood vessels and structures of the retina. These photographs are so very, very helpful in detecting disorders of eye health. At Doig Optometry, we always want to assess your retina this way at your comprehensive eye exam because it is simply the best way to detect and track gradual changes in macular, retinal and optic nerve health over time.
Corneal Topography
This is a measure of the shape of the cornea, which is the front surface of the eye. This is an important measure of contact lens fit and corneal health because this is where the contact lens sits. This is also an important measure for patients who are considering or who have recently had eye surgery.
Optical Coherence Tomography
(OCT) screening gives Dr. Doig and Dr. Chorel an image that looks very much like an ultrasound image. OCT scans use light, not sound, but they give invaluable information about what’s inside the tissues of the eyes. At Doig Optometry, we take a screening OCT scan at each comprehensive eye exam. When we combine our screening OCT scan with our screening Fundus Photographs, we can know with the greatest certainty that the eyes are healthy.
Measurement of Intra-Ocular Pressure
Your eyes are not empty. If they were, they would collapse like an empty balloon. It’s the pressure of the fluid inside the eye that keeps them round, so they focus properly. Unfortunately, if this pressure is too high, it can damage the optic nerve where it exits the eye. We measure the pressure inside the eyes to rule out this problem. We do not have the “air puff test” – our instrument is so gentle that most patients barely notice it. We can even use this technique on children if needed.
Once the needed preliminary information is gathered, you will see Dr. Doig or Dr. Chorel for your eye exam, and you will have 30-40 minutes with the doctor.
What to expect after your appointment
After your optometrist has finished the eye exam, the final and most important step is the care plan that you and your optometrist create. Dr. Chorel and Dr. Doig will discuss your vision care needs with you and answer any questions about your vision care plan. Then, they will communicate all necessary details to the staff at Doig Optometry. Together, the staff and doctors at Doig Optometry will help you obtain the eye care products needed to carry out your vision care plan.
Here’s what you can expect after your eye exam:
- Eyeglass product selection and ordering
- Eyeglass Product Selection and Ordering
- Contact Lens Product Selection and Ordering
- Eyeglass and Contact Lens Product Arrival
- Eyeglass and Contact Lens Product Dispensing
- Happy Calls
- Patient Recall
See Sharp, Look Sharp, and Love your Glasses®
Our team is committed to our Patient Care Priority® and operate with the following principles:
- The patient is part of the vision care landscape.
- The patient is greatest authority and advocate on their symptoms and concerns.
- The patient’s family is also part of the vision care landscape. In our experience, they care very deeply about their loved one’s vision, and they have insights to share from the things they’ve observed by living closely with the patient.