What Is CDELS?

Certified Dry Eye Lifestyle Specialist™ (CDELS™)

Professional certification for non-clinical dry eye lifestyle guidance

Issued by: Broadry LLC

The CDELS™ certification trains allied health professionals to provide structured lifestyle education and support for dry eye patients, bridging the gap between clinical treatment and daily patient care.

What Is a Certified Dry Eye Lifestyle Specialist?

Provides Lifestyle Education Without Medical Diagnosis

Certified Dry Eye Lifestyle Specialists educate patients about nutrition, environmental factors, screen time management, sleep hygiene, stress reduction, and daily eye care habits. This is educational guidance, not medical treatment.

Helps Patients Understand Lifestyle Factors

Many dry eye patients don't fully understand how screen time, sleep patterns, diet, humidity, and daily habits directly impact their symptoms. Specialists provide structured, evidence-based education on these modifiable factors.

Supports Physician Treatment Plans

Time constraints during medical appointments limit comprehensive lifestyle education. Specialists provide ongoing reinforcement and accountability between clinical visits, improving treatment adherence without providing medical advice.

The Problem CDELS™ Solves

Clinicians Diagnose and Treat. But Who Guides the Daily Journey?

Dry eye affects over 30 million Americans, and lifestyle factors play a significant role in symptom severity. However, most optometry and ophthalmology practices lack structured systems to deliver comprehensive lifestyle education due to time constraints.

Patient Challenge: Treatment Abandonment

Studies show patients often abandon dry eye therapies due to discomfort, complexity, or lack of ongoing support.
Without structured lifestyle guidance, patients struggle to understand which daily habits worsen symptoms.
Patients need ongoing education and accountability between clinical visits.

Provider Challenge: Time Constraints

The average dry eye appointment lasts 15-20 minutes, leaving insufficient time for comprehensive lifestyle education.
Physicians must prioritize medical diagnosis and treatment decisions over lifestyle counseling.
Staff may lack training in lifestyle coaching and patient education.

Practice Challenge: Missed Opportunity

Practices lack a framework to monetize lifestyle education as a separate service line.
No professional credential existed for non-clinical dry eye lifestyle support until CDELS™.
Competitive differentiation requires offering comprehensive rather than purely medical services.

Benefits for Practices: How Certified Specialists Transform Dry Eye Care

Improve Patient Compliance & Outcomes

A certified specialist reinforces clinician recommendations between visits

Regular lifestyle coaching improves treatment adherence by providing ongoing accountability
Patients who understand lifestyle triggers are more likely to follow medical treatment plans
Structured support reduces therapy abandonment rates
Better outcomes lead to higher patient satisfaction

Free Up Physician Time

Lifestyle education delivered through a structured framework

Delegating lifestyle education to certified specialists allows physicians to focus on medical decision-making
Average reduction of 8-10 minutes per dry eye appointment when lifestyle counseling is handled separately
Improved practice efficiency without sacrificing quality of patient education
More patients seen without physician burnout

Stand Out in Your Market

Certification signals specialization and commitment to comprehensive care

First-mover advantage: very few practices currently offer certified lifestyle specialist services
Positions practice as a dry eye center of excellence
Premium service offering that justifies higher patient investment
New revenue stream: $5,000-15,000+/month average

Professional Certification for Allied Health Staff

The CDELS™ certification is designed for healthcare support professionals working in or with eye care practices. No medical degree is required.

Eligible Professionals

Ophthalmic Technician
Ophthalmic Assistant
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)
Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT)
Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT)
Optometric Technician
Optometric Assistant
Dry Eye Technician
Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist
Licensed Acupuncturist
Wellness Coach/Counselor
Health Educators
Practice Coordinators interested in patient education

Important: Scope and Limitations

The Certified Dry Eye Lifestyle Specialist™ certification does not confer medical licensure or authorize the diagnosis or treatment of disease. Certified specialists provide non-clinical lifestyle education and guidance only. All medical decisions must be made by licensed healthcare providers.

Ready to Transform Your Practice?

For Individual Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare professionals seeking specialized certification in dry eye lifestyle support

For Optometry & Ophthalmology Practices

Practices wanting to add certified lifestyle services and improve outcomes