Aligning Practice Tools with Your Needs and Goals
Posted by EyePromise on Feb 27th 2025
Building a thriving practice relies on a balance of excellent patient care and efficient practice management. While it’s instinctual to revisit patient progress via tests like visual acuity, OCT, and MPOD measurement, eye care professionals (ECPs) should also be revisiting their practice systems to ensure they’re performing as intended. There are a lot of platforms that can be utilized in practice, and you can’t constantly check them all, right? Gina M. Wesley, OD, MS, FAAO, shared her recommended focuses in an article for Optometric Management.
Patient Communication Platforms
Dr. Wesley first recommended reviewing your patient communication platform, as this is a critical tool for both patient and practice success. Recommended on a quarterly basis, review your current system to ensure it’s still functioning in all the facets you need it to. This includes:
- Cost – has your cost jumped?
- Performance – is it doing what you need it to do?
- Usability – is it easy for your team to do?
After understanding your “current state,” you can determine what features you have and want to keep, need and don’t have, and have but don’t use. If the last two “lists” are becoming longer than the first, it may be time to consider a new outlet. Using those compiled lists, you can compare competitors’ offerings and potentially find a better solution for a lower price.
Another important suggestion from Dr. Wesley: be prepared to negotiate. Your current platform will likely try and keep you, and competitive platforms will work to try and win your business. Know what options you stand firm on and where you have wiggle room and then come to the negotiations table with your best foot forward.
Automations
Automation can help easily streamline your day-to-day practice operations. Several industries are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to help with this. Whether it’s crafting communications, scheduling appointments, or managing inventory, AI can help free up your staff to focus on the patient experience. However, it’s important to note that AI is not perfect, and it’s important to include routine reviews to ensure that the work your AI system is doing aligns with your practice.
EyePromise® Auto Refill Program
If you’re looking to make nutraceutical prescription automated and easy, the EyePromise Auto Refill Program (ARP) is a great option. The ARP is an automated prescription refill service that delivers your prescribed EyePromise nutraceutical directly to the patient’s door. With simple, fast in-practice enrollment, patients can be signed up before leaving their appointments.
The ARP then automatically sends 3 months’ worth of their prescription on a recurring schedule based on when the patient would need a refill. Through the online portal, patients can easily manage their subscriptions, expediting or delaying shipments to arrive on days that fit their schedules best.
Additionally, when patients are enrolled in the ARP, they’ll receive complimentary educational emails that correspond with the EyePromise nutraceutical they were prescribed. This helps remind patients why they’re taking the product and reinforces adherence to your recommendation. It also provides tips for helping patients remember to take their daily EyePromise dose, reducing the risk of having too much product.
Optical Logistics
Another area Dr. Wesley recommended focusing your review efforts on is optical logistics. There are several ways she considered that can help streamline this area of your practice:
- Scheduled dispensing – Offering scheduled pickup times allows your staff to be more prepared and offer a better experience to these patients while also freeing up time so they’re not waiting around for a patient to show up.
- Shipping options – Some patients live remotely or prefer to update their current frames with new lenses. These present great opportunities for implementing a shipping program. Of course, you won’t want to offer all patients a shipping option, as some may need to come in to have their glasses fitted properly or be taught how to use their specific lens most effectively. However, offering shipping for select groups like the ones mentioned can provide a much-appreciated service.
- Review your optical partners – Similar to your patient communications platform, review your current partners to determine if they’re still meeting your needs or if something has changed. Things to consider include:
- Turnaround times – are they competitive?
- Prices – are they reasonable?
- Patient selection – are patients choosing this partner’s options?
Of course, these are just a few of the systematic reviews to be held to ensure your practice is running at its best. You should consider what programs/platforms you use most in your office to help determine which you review and how often. Choosing the right practice partners like EyePromise, who offers business reviews so you know exactly how your nutraceutical prescriptions are performing, can make all the difference.
