The Vision Council Releases 2021 Eyecare Provider Insights Report

Alexandria, VA – Feb. 24, 2022 – The Vision Council today releases the 2021 Eyecare Provider (ECP) Insights Report, which summarizes the results of the monthly surveys of eyecare providers conducted by The Vision Council in 2021. The report contains detailed insights on eye exams, capture rate, practice revenue, telehealth services, staffing levels, practice owner economic sentiment, and staff vaccinations. Throughout 2021, The Vision Council recorded and analyzed responses from 3,562 eyecare providers.

To download the report, visit The Vision Council’s Research Download Center here.

“The results from our 2021 eyecare provider surveys reflect what we have also seen in our consumer and transaction data—eyecare practice business rebounded and largely got back to business as usual,” said Alysse Henkel, Director of Research Data and Analytics at The Vision Council. “Vaccinations seemed to play a large role in the trend toward normality, with eye exam counts and revenue being reported as normal or better by most respondents after the first quarter.”

Key takeaways from the report include:

• Eye exam counts and practice revenue rose to typical levels in 2021: While reported eye exam counts started out lower than usual in the first quarter of the year, for the remainder of the year, more than 55 percent of respondents reported exam counts were normal or better.
• Reported capture rate continued to be strong: On average, respondents reported a favorable capture rate with more than 70 percent of respondents saying capture rates were normal or better compared to a typical, pre-pandemic month.
• Practice owners had a confident economic outlook: In first half of the year, over 45 percent of owners believed business conditions would be better in future months. Mid-year, when business conditions had largely stabilized, they were more likely to anticipate conditions would remain the same.
• Telehealth services leveled off: About one third of providers said they offered telehealth services in the first quarter before vaccines were widely available. After the first quarter, about one in four practices reported offering telehealth services.
• Some owners reported issues with staffing: About 20 percent of owners reported that their staffing levels were lower than normal months. When asked, owners with lower staffing rates most often said it was difficult to find employees to fill open positions.
• ECP vaccination rates were high: Eyecare professionals were vaccinated at higher rates than the US adult population, with 86 percent of respondents reporting that they were vaccinated compared to 74 percent of the adult population by the end of April.

As part of The Vision Council’s strategic plan for 2022, The Vision Council’s market research program is being refreshed and redesigned. More information on changes to come and what members can expect in revised reports will be shared soon.