Practice Playbook
The Dry Eye Exam Workflow screen, measure, decide, send.
A dry eye service lives or dies on one routine inside the exam lane. When every patient moves through it in the same order, dry eye care stops being an extra and becomes part of a normal clinic day.
In one paragraph
Four stages, the same order, every time.
A symptom questionnaire before the room, point-of-care tests to confirm, a treatment decision while the patient is seated, and a written plan sent through RescueLink before checkout. Staff handle the repeatable parts so the doctor spends time on the call that matters.
Worth knowing
- A routine run the same way daily outperforms a perfect one run occasionally.
- The DEQ-5 or OSDI on the intake form begins the workup in the waiting room.
- Reported symptoms and measured signs often disagree, so a test number helps patients see the problem.
- Plans started in the chair have a better chance of starting at all.
- Schedule the recheck before the patient stands up.
The four stages.
Every stage has a named owner and a tool.
Screen
A validated symptom form on the intake paperwork flags who needs a closer look.
Measure
Tear film stability, osmolarity, an inflammation marker and a view of the meibomian glands confirm the finding and set severity.
Decide
Set severity, start any in-office care the findings call for, and build the home routine around what is driving the disease.
Send
Push the plan through RescueLink, switch on automatic refills, and put the recheck on the calendar.
Who handles each stage.
Data collection belongs to the team. The doctor's minutes go to the treatment call.
| Stage | Owner | Tools | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom form | Front desk or intake team | DEQ-5 or OSDI | In the waiting room |
| Point-of-care tests | Technician | Osmolarity, MMP-9, imaging | Pre-exam or mid-exam |
| Severity and plan | Doctor | Findings plus test values | During the exam |
| Plan delivery and recheck | Staff lead | RescueLink | Before checkout |
Order and timing of each test follow its own instructions for use.
Turn the screen toward the patient. Seeing their own osmolarity value or a positive MMP-9 line starts more treatment plans than a long verbal explanation ever will.
RescueLink
Send the rest home with the patient.
Text or email each patient the exact products you recommend. They check out in one tap on VisionRescue.com, refills can repeat automatically, and your practice receives a 15% participation credit on eligible OTC orders. Contact lenses and Rx products are excluded.
- Free to activate, no subscription
- Patients check out in one tap
- Automatic refills on daily items
- Your recommendation, your patient
Doctor questions about the workflow
Why put a questionnaire first?
Symptoms and clinical signs often fail to match, and a short validated form catches people who would never mention their eyes.
Which tests give the most value?
Tear stability, osmolarity and an inflammation marker return the most information per minute. The diagnostics guide covers sequencing.
Does this lengthen the exam?
Only a little when staff give the form and run the tests. The doctor adds the decision, not the data gathering.
Why decide in the room?
Plans that are emailed later often never begin. Choosing and handing off before checkout turns intention into a first order.
How do I keep every staff member consistent?
Put the routine on a one-page checklist and give one staff lead ownership of it.
When should the recheck happen?
Book it before checkout, far enough out that heat, lid hygiene and drops have had time to work.
References
- Wolffsohn JS, Arita R, Chalmers R, et al. TFOS DEWS II Diagnostic Methodology Report. Ocul Surf. 2017;15(3):539-574. PubMed
- Chalmers RL, Begley CG, Caffery B. Validation of the 5-Item Dry Eye Questionnaire (DEQ-5). Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2010;33(2):55-60. PubMed
- Schiffman RM, et al. Reliability and validity of the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118(5):615-621. PubMed
About this guide
Prepared for licensed eye care practices by Vision Rescue. Reach the provider team at providers@visionrescue.com or 1-855-692-8024.
Notes and disclosures
General operating guidance, not clinical, legal, tax or billing advice. Outcomes vary with each practice's patients and execution, and treatment decisions belong to the examining doctor. Vision Rescue is a licensed pharmaceutical wholesale distributor of medical supplies and OTC eye care products.
Run it the same way tomorrow.
Order the testing supplies at wholesale, and let RescueLink deliver each patient's plan.