The Hidden Cost of Digital Eye Strain—and What Optometry Practices Can Do About It

It’s 2025, and America’s workforce is spending an average of 97 hours a week staring at screens. That stat alone would raise eyebrows, but the real kicker? 

Nearly 70% of employees report symptoms of digital eye strain—from blurry vision to itchy, dry—and more than half say it’s actively hurting their productivity and well-being.

As eye health professionals, optometrists are on the front lines of this growing crisis. However, the opportunity goes beyond clinical care. When digital eye strain drives more patients through your doors, it also creates a need for smarter billing workflows, patient education strategies, and practice-wide efficiency. 

Here’s how optometry practices can respond to the rise in digital eye strain and use better revenue cycle management (RCM) to make care more sustainable for patients and providers alike.

Why Digital Eye Strain Is Your Practice’s Business

You might assume patients will only book appointments when their vision reaches a breaking point, but the latest data tells a different story. People are starting to view eye care as part of their broader wellness strategy. That means a spike in demand for:

• Dry eye evaluations
• Blue light lens consultations
• Screen-related vision assessments
• Workplace wellness vision exams

This is good news, but only if your practice is prepared to manage the increased volume without burning out your team or your budget.

Don’t Let Bad Billing Undermine Good Care

When your schedule fills with digital eye strain cases, billing accuracy becomes even more important. Coding errors, vague documentation, or manually handled eligibility checks can all lead to delays, denials, and lost revenue—especially with visits tied to workplace wellness plans or employer-sponsored vision programs.

By tightening up your RCM workflows, your practice can:

• Accurately code for digital eye strain-related services
• Automate claim follow-ups and reduce denial rates
• Ensure timely reimbursements, even for new or complex visit types
• Free up staff time for patient care, not paperwork

Using RCM to Build Loyalty

Want to position your practice as the go-to solution for digital eye strain in your community? Start with the patient experience. That includes fast intake, easy scheduling, clear billing, and consistent follow-up.

RCM tools that flag incomplete claims, automate reminders, and streamline insurance verification can make your practice feel seamless, not stressful. The less your patients have to worry about what their insurance covers, the more likely they are to return.

Turn the Strain Into Strength

Digital eye strain isn’t going away—but with the right systems in place, your optometry practice can turn a rising health concern into a growth opportunity. Investing in smarter workflows and RCM strategies doesn’t just support your bottom line; it helps you deliver personalized and high-quality care that keeps patients coming back.