The Complete Pair Gap - Summary - MDSpire

The Complete Pair Gap

<i>Eyecare Business</i> and GPN offer a fresh focus on industry data—exploring a specific aspect of the optometric practice each month. Here, GPN examines why the top 10% of eyecare practices achieve twice the national complete-pair rate.

  • January 1, 2026

  • 4 min

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Objective:

To analyze the performance gap in complete pair rates among eyecare practices from January 2023 to December 2025 and identify factors contributing to the disparity.

Key Findings:
  • Top 10% of practices achieve a complete pair rate of 50.1% or higher, nearly double the national median of 29%.
  • One in 3 practices captures fewer than 20% of complete eyeglass pairs.
  • Northeast practices average 19%, while Western practices average 31.4%.
  • Only 9.5% of complete pair patients purchase a second pair.
  • The national complete pair rate has declined from 28% in 2023 to 26% in 2025.
Interpretation:

The decline in complete pair rates is driven by internal practice behaviors rather than external factors, indicating a critical need for improved processes and actionable changes.

Limitations:
  • The analysis does not explore specific reasons for the performance gap beyond practice behavior.
  • Data is limited to US eyecare practices and may not be generalizable to other regions or countries.
  • Potential impact of unmeasured variables is not accounted for.
Conclusion:

Improving complete pair rates is achievable through better practice systems and processes, with significant opportunities for practices below the national median. Addressing the performance gap is essential for overall improvement.

Original Source(s)

The Complete Pair Gap

  • January 1, 2026

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