Optometric Practice Management

While the business aspect of an optometrist's practice may come second to patient care, optometrists today are faced with greater competition for new patients and income. This updated guide shows readers how to work smarter through effective practice management to offset reduced earnings due to fixed reimbursements of managed care and competition from 1-800 contact lens companies and chains selling discount frames and lenses. Drawing on over 40 years of experience, the author presents practical strategies for addressing the problems of day-to-day practice, and explains how to develop business and marketing plans without detracting from the optometrist's professional image. This edition features an increased focus on how to work with partners (including how to exit gracefully from a partnership), how to start a part-time practice, and how to be creative in practice. Authored by an expert in the field of practice management and optometry for the most effective, realistic advice and guidance. Concise, readable text synthesizes the author's 40-plus years of expertise in optometric practice. Necessary business and marketing skills are presented in a way that is compatible the optometrist's professional image. Tips and tools are provided on how to approach the client as both a consumer and a patient. Helpful information for students or optometrists who own or are planning to own their own practice. Completely re-written and updated. 4 new chapters cover topics such as practice locations, part-time practicing, managed care, management of un-met vision needs, and the office of the future. An increased focus on how to work with partners, including how to exit gracefully from a partnership. A discussion of how to start a part-time practice addresses real-world considerations and practical strategies. Hot new topics such as co-management of patients, gender and ethnicity, senior patient concerns, and discounting.

Count on this complete guide to setting up and managing an optometric practice! Business Aspects of Optometry covers everything related to the business side of a practice — such as selecting a location and staff, equipping the office, office administration and personnel management, marketing, options for a specialty practice, controlling costs, billing and reimbursement, risk management, and financial planning. To succeed in practice, this is the one resource you need! Unique! Expert authors are practice management educators who teach the course in optometry schools. A logical organization makes it easy to find practical information on managing your own practice or purchasing your own practice. Coverage of different types of ownership includes self-employment, individual proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. Coverage of cost control issues compares the selection and use of an optical laboratory versus an in-house finishing lab. Risk management and insurance coverage provides an overview of personal, life, liability, and disability insurance. Coverage of financial planning and tax reporting discusses topics including IRAs, retirement plans, estate planning, and personal and business tax issues. Bulleted lists, tables, figures, and boxes help you locate valuable information quickly. Checklists provide a logical progression in completing tasks. NEW chapters expand the book’s scope of coverage, and include these topics: Personal and professional goal setting Resumes and interviews Debt management Principles of practice transfer Ethics Quality assurance Specialty practice Vision rehabilitation Coding and billing Financial decision making Exit strategies

Practice Management in Optometry, Second Edition, is a refresh of the original book published in 2017. Subchapters that were outdated or redundant have been removed. The second edition includes a hardcover version along with paperback and e-book. Based on the long-running e-newsletter series, Optometric Management Tip of the Week, the book is filled with practical and innovative ideas geared toward increasing productivity and profitability. Written by an optometrist who actually founded, owned, managed and treated patients in private practice for over 30 years, this book rings true to other ODs in the trenches! Author Neil Gailmard, OD, MBA, FAAO has a knack for simplifying and communicating concepts so they make sense. In addition to his main career as a clinical optometrist, Dr. Gailmard served as a professor at Illinois College of Optometry, a lecturer at major eye care conferences, a writer in professional publications and a consultant to optometrists and the optical industry. If you own an optometric practice, or hope to someday, this book will lead you up the pathway to success.The paperback edition is 741 pages and the hardcover version is 548 pages because the paper sizes are different. The book is organized into 20 chapters: Starting and Organizing a Practice / Office Design / Instrumentation / Strategic Planning / Organizational Behavior / Human Resource Management / Office Managers / Staff Training and Meetings / Customer Service / Practice Marketing / Recall and Reactivation / Business Operations / Managed Care / Clinical Efficiency and Delegation / The Medical Model / Contact Lens Practice / Optical Dispensing / Associate Optometrists / Practice Finance and Metrics / The CEO Model.

An introduction to the theory and practice of optometry in one succinct volume. From the fundamental science of vision to clinical techniques and the management of common ocular conditions, this book encompasses the essence of contemporary optometric practice. Now in full colour and featuring over 400 new illustrations, this popular text which will appeal to both students and practitioners wishing to keep up to date has been revised significantly. The new edition incorporates recent advances in technology and a complete overview of clinical procedures to improve and update everyday patient care. Contributions from well-known international experts deliver a broad perspective and understanding of current optometric practice. A useful aid for students and the newly qualified practitioner, while providing a rapid reference guide for the more experienced clinician. Comprehensive and logical coverage detailing the full spectrum of optometric practice in one volume. Succinctly covers the basics of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, investigative techniques and clinical management of common eye conditions to provide key topics likely to be met in clinical practice. Discusses the full range of refractive correction, from spectacles and contact lenses to surgical treatment. Includes chapters on the management of special populations, including paediatric, elderly, low vision and special needs patients. Heavily illustrated throughout with key diagrams and images to support the text. Complete restructuring of contents into three sections: basic sciences, clinical techniques and patient management. Full colour throughout with over 400 illustrations. Many new chapters reflecting the changes in optometric practice and technology over the last 20 years, including new imaging and diagnostic procedures and methods of ocular treatment and refractive correction. Now includes internationally renowned authors from around the world. Details a full range of refractive and management approaches for patient care.

This updated new edition is a practical guide to the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of systemic disorders as they relate to primary eye care. It incorporates a multidisciplinary approach, from the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, to testing and diagnosis methods, to medical and surgical management. Clinical Medicine in Optometric Practice, 2nd Edition provides the reader with the information needed to make informed decisions about patient management, such as identifying symptoms and their related disorders, and knowing when to refer patients to a medical specialist. Shows how the wide range of medical conditions and their therapeutic strategies impact the delivery of eye care. Familiarizes the reader with the conditions that are encountered in practice, those that may present with ocular manifestations, and those that have significant importance to medicine in general. Organized in a practical, easily accessible format. Uses case presentations to demonstrate clinical test interpretation, differential diagnosis, treatment, and the development of a prognosis. Reflects the most current technologies in examination and testing. Features all-new illustrations in full color, illustrating systemic disorders, the physical exam, videotaping, dermatological conditions, and much more. Includes a new chapter on vascular disease, especially important since optometrists are sometimes the first to notice these types of changes. Contains new information on cardiovascular disease and carotid disease, including the effects that stroke may have on the patient.

Purpose. Practice management software has been used in optometric offices for many years, but few optometrists make use of all the capabilities their software provides, especially Electronic Health Records (EHR). This is troublesome because the National Health Information Infrastructure has set a deadline of 2015 to make EHR mandatory. The ultimate goal is to have health information flow seamlessly between healthcare professionals, while protecting patient confidentiality and guarding against inappropriate use. The purpose of this study is to increase clinician knowledge of the practice management software available, the capabilities it holds, the relative perceived benefits of certain programs to others, and the benefits of EHR. Relative satisfaction of practice management software systems overall and their capabilities will also be determined. Methods. The subject group consisted of 185 optometric physicians from a variety of practice modalities. They answered a questionnaire that specifically evaluated their number of years in practice, software and EHR usage, along with their satisfaction of several capabilities within their software. Results. Years in practice was relatively even for all choices. An overwhelming majority of responders work in private practice. Practice management software was utilized by 85% of responders and was updated within the last 6 months. Only 41% use Electronic Health Records, but 80% of those reported it as a component of their practice management software. Over half of responders were rated their practice management software and EHR better than average. There was minimal difference in satisfaction between OfficeMate, Compulink, MaximEyes and PCIS. Conclusion. According to Edlow, although over 80% of today's optometrists utilize the components of billing, claim processing and bookkeeping, a large majority does not utilize every component of their practice management software, especially the EHR capability. In the future it will be important for practice management software companies to have EHR as a staple feature. Although the deadline of integrating EHR into each practitioner's office is growing near, only a small number are utilizing this component.

This one-of-a-kind compilation presents 201 easy-to-read, ready-to-use strategies for creating a highly professional, productive and profitable optometric practice. Inside you'll discover: 35 ways to differentiate your practice in substantial and sustainable ways to give you an edge in today's highly-competitive and cost-conscious environment. 22 "do's and don'ts" of setting, raising, and discounting fees from practitioners who learned the hard way about the impact that changes in fees have on profitability. Methods for attracting more private pay patients reducing dependence on managed care and the stress of a high-volume, time-pressured schedule. 24 savvy networking strategies designed to produce a stream of referrals from primary care physicians, pediatricians, ophthalmologists, teachers, school nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, psychologists and others. Hard learned lessons from leading practices throughout the country that reveal opportunities for revenue enhancement and tremendous practice growth. A chapter on market research that illustrates how patients, staff members and referring physicians view a practice, its policies, procedures, and personnel to help optometrists understand what they're doing right and the "blind spots" that exist in every practice. Long range, strategic planning to enable you to make the critical decisions that every growth-conscious optometrist must make about his or her practice. Critical communication skills for doctors and staff members to improve patient acceptance of premium lens options, quality sunwear, and prescriptions for vocational and avocational visual needs. The single most important factor in gaining patient acceptance of periodic comprehensive eye exams. How to hire and retain employees who work hard, enjoy what they're doing, and pull together to make a practice successful. 16 hard-learned lessons about hiring employees to enable readers to learn from the mistakes of others and build a high performance team of loyal, enthusiastic, service-oriented employees. Stress management strategies that reduce practice-related stress, prevent staff burnout, and add a sense of fun to the workday. Patient education tips facilitate the development of high-trust relationships with patients, resulting in better informed, more compliant and appreciative patients. Low-cost, no-cost ways to achieve greater credibility and visibility in your community. and much, much more