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VisionWeb continued to experience substantial growth over the past year, easily maintaining its status as the largest open and neutral Web portal in the optical or eye care industry, according to Ken Engelhart, president and CEO.

The Web portal over the past 12 months saw a 30 percent increase in the number of practitioners placing orders, with similar increases in other key statistics across operations in the United States, Canada and Europe, Engelhart said.

Established in 2000 to deliver the speed, efficiency and connectivity of the Internet to all participants in the eye care industry, VisionWeb has seen a rapid acceleration in growth over the past four years, according to company literature.

Because the AOA is an equity affiliate of the portal, Engelhart reports to the AOA House of Delegates each year on VisionWeb’s performance.

“VisionWeb remains the largest open and neutral electronic portal in the optical space,” Engelhart said.
 An analysis of U.S. VisionWeb data now finds:

• More than 13,000 eye care practitioners placed orders through the portal in April – up 30 percent from 10,000 during the previous year;
• 750 suppliers now accept orders through VisionWeb – up 25 percent from 600 a year ago

VisionWeb offers its services in 28 countries worldwide, and growth levels in other parts of the world were similar to those in the U.S., Engelhart said. 

Engelhart credited growth to increasing adoption of online commerce among eye care practitioners and suppliers.  Increases in participating practitioners and suppliers appear to be mutually spurred in a kind of “chicken and egg” effect, he said.

Engelhart emphasized VisionWeb is open to participation by all practitioners, suppliers and third-party payers and is “neutral” in its orientation. VisionWeb’s services are open to all practitioners, suppliers and insurance payers willing to connect to VisionWeb, a key point of differentiation from other industry portals that are oriented toward a limited network of suppliers or specific insurance payers.

VisionWeb was founded in 2000 by Essilor of America, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. as an independent company. Advanced Medical Optics, Inc., Jobson Medical Information LLC, Marchon Eyewear, Inc., the American Optometric Association, and Transitions Optical, Inc. have since become equity partners of VisionWeb.

Insurance claims filed through VisionWeb’s Insurance Transaction Processing Service are processed through Emdeon, the world’s largest electronic medical claims clearing house, Engelhart said.

Engelhart also credited growth to ongoing marketing efforts – including Webinars, promotions, channel marketing programs, social media and e-mail “blasts” – all designed to educate practitioners and office staff members on VisionWeb services and provide instructions on how to use them.

Under its equity affiliate agreement with AOA, VisionWeb provides royalties to state optometric associations based on total revenues generated from orders by optometrists in their respective states. A total of 43 state optometric associations now participate in the program.

Access VisionWeb at www.visionweb.com.