Optometry practices that survive in the future will be the ones that have made technology an integral part of their operations. Over the past five years optometry practices have gone through an excessive amount of change. The “wait and see” approach, which was successful for optometrists in the past two decades, is no longer a viable option for managing a practice. Technology turnover occurs at a rate of every three years or faster, and this pace will only increase.
I’ve always had a passion for using the newest internet technology to improve our business, but lately I’ve found that even I can no longer manage it on my own. My partner and I were afraid of the cost/benefit ratio of hiring a company to handle some of the technological responsibilities, but we have since realized we can’t afford not to.
Here are 3 essential survival tools for the optometry practices of the future:
- Online management company – One lesson that I learned through website development and search engine rankings is that professionals are worth the money that you pay them. Our practice has been using iMatrix for the past 18 months and have found it takes only two or three new patients a month to cover the fees in the media package. Since signing on with them, we have consistently had two or three new patients within the first five business days of any given month. As an owner, the return on my investment is a no-brainer.
- Patient e-communication tools – This tool took a little bit of time to sell to our doctors and staff, but we needed to get highly compensated opticians off the phone and onto the dispensary floor. We chose SolutionReach to send patients text messages or emails when their eyeglasses or contacts were ready for pick-up. Patients immediately gave so much positive feedback that it was easy for staff to buy in, and we quickly started using all of SolutionReach. We currently can get a competitor’s software free due to our volume with the company but we decided to stay with SolutionReach. We more than pay for SolutionReach each month with the archiving feature that quarries all patients who haven’t been seen within two years and sends out appointment recommendations.
- Physician referral e-network – Since the onset of Meaningful Use Stage 2, companies have been racing to develop a tool that will allow physicians to communicate with each other in a secure network. OcuHub is emerging as the choice for optometrists and ophthalmologists. The OcuHub (Covisint technology) platform allows doctors to communicate with all doctors that have a DIRECT messaging address (i.e. – health exchanges). The platform allows for exchange of Continuity of Care Documents (CCD) and subsequent imaging to be shared in a secure environment. It also allows for seamless PCP referrals. The PCP can schedule an appointment with the optometrist for diabetes eye care and send one document that has pertinent information of the patient’s PCP visit. OcuHub has been our connection to the huge network of hospital and medical practices.
Many practice management solutions of five or ten years ago are no longer viable in this constantly changing digital age. As the CEO, you have two options; the first is to embrace change and see technological advances as opportunities to grow your practice. The second is to be frustrated with a moving target and take the old approach of “wait and see.”
In my opinion, the “wait and see” method of approaching management is too risky. I don’t think everyone needs to be with the front five percent in embracing change, but I do think a CEO needs to be in the front 20 percent to sustain a successful optometry practice model.
