Technology encompasses most areas of the optometry office. There is technology in clinical equipment, practice management software, electronic health records (EHR), information transfer, and hardware. Keeping current with all this technology is expensive and possibly daunting for a less-than-enthusiastic technological owner. So which technologies are necessary and which are not?

The technology to invest in needs to do at least one of three things:  improve financials, increase new patient growth, and/or give you a competitive advantage.

  1. The right EHR – Not all EHRs are created equal. A quick reference to ehrcompare, an online rating system for optometry software, reveals that there are varying degrees of software, both good and bad. This is not an area to cut corners.
  2. The right web involvement – Word-of-mouth is still the best way to get new patients through the loyalty of current patients. When your patients can easily navigate your website and e-communications, they view your practice as convenient and user-friendly. I recently was reminded how important this is when I received an email from my dentist’s office for an upcoming appointment. I realized I had a conflict and needed to reschedule, but the email did not link the phone number to their office, plus the only option was to call during their business hours. IMatrix is a partner of optometryceo and is used by my office. After partnering with them our new patient numbers have increased and weekly we have patients who comment about how nice it is to schedule and confirm appointments online anytime without having to call our office.
  3. Hardware that costs less – Have you looked at the costs of keeping your PCs, printers, scanners, and wired/wireless network up to date? These costs may be eroding your profits. Maintaining an in-office server requires a knowledgeable IT service and adding a printer or scanner can take a well-paid technician hours to set up. To cut hardware costs moving forward look for two things:  cloud printing and a cloud-based EHR.

Many optometry business owners feel stuck in their current systems, but this does not have to be the case. Deciding to change is painful, but we tell patients all the time that if they do not change their contacts regularly or use a hydrogen peroxide solution they are going to have regrettable problems. You may not believe you have a technology problem now, but will your current technology allow your practice to be healthy and thrive for years to come?