ODwire.org TVPractice Management

Co-Management Tips with Drs. Azman & Greiner!

In this ODwire TV segment, Best Practices 2019 winners Drs. Ben Azman and Katie Greiner sit down with us to discuss co-management.

We hit on:

* The benefits of co-management to both the patient and the optometrist
* How to establish (and nurture) co-management relationships with ODs, OMDs, and other health care professionals
* How to use co-management to build your practice

Leave your feedback for Drs. Azman & Greiner in this thread!

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Practice Management

Shocker: Only 1% of ODs use Amniotic Membranes

An ODwire.org member reports that based on the latest CMS data, Only 409 optometrists reported CPT code 65778 (placement of an amniotic membrane) in 2017.

That 409 docs represents approximately 1% of the total number of practicing ODs in the US.

That, in our opinion, is both disappointing and shocking.

And represents a major missed opportunity both for patient and doctor alike.

Read more about the statistics, and why so few docs are working with amniotic membrane technology.

Do you utilize amniotic membranes in your practice?
If not, why not?

Weigh in!

… and if you’re interested in the topic, also take a listen to an interview we did with Dr. Sheila Morrison of UH on the importance of amniotic membranes to practitioners today:

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InterviewPractice ManagementTechnology

Uprise Essentials & Pro – Plus Free Special for ODwire.org Members

I spoke with Denise Crown from VisionWeb @ VEE to catch the latest with them (listen to the 5 minute interview above.)

Uprise has now split out their platform into two separate packages at different pricepoints — “Essentials” and “Pro“.

So for a new practitioner who doesn’t necessarily need the kitchen sink, but does want an EHR, Essentials is an inexpensive way to go. You can then seamlessly “upgrade” to Pro when ready.

*** They are extending the show special: You can get Uprise Essentials for FREE for your first doc if you sign up for VisionWeb’s Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) package (which does claim submissions, etc.)

Just contact them to take advantage of this or ask questions in this thread.

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Practice Management

Should All ODs Practice Myopia Control?

In preparation for GPLIwire2017, i’ve gotten a crash-course in myopia control over the past few months.

Three things surprised me:

  • The improved efficacy of the various strategies (pharmacological, specialty lens, etc.)
  • The remuneration for the service (high — even in 2017)
  • And the kicker — that so many ODs refer this service out!

In fact, so many turf these cases out that we’ve seen free-standing, independent “myopia control centers” spring up in many communities throughout the country in the past couple of years. This to me is madness.

Myopia control is within the scope of virtually every OD trained in the past 30 years.

The pharmacologic principles are pretty straightforward.

The specialty lenses used — with some additional training — should be in the wheelhouse of anyone who has fit RGPs.

There is nothing exotic here. I am convinced with some effort, most folks could build this into their practices.

So my question to everyone here: why aren’t more people making this part of their practices?

ODwire.org members can discuss this topic here.

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Practice Management

Competitive Analysis: America’s Best Optical “Club”

Large chain America’s Best has been floating a patient offer:

For $99 you get three years worth of free examinations up to two per year, 10% discount on eyeglasses and a 10% discount on Contacts which can be obtained for as low as $13.99 a box.

Like most discount programs, this is an effort to promote patient lock-in, but what does the offer actually provide?

Does this entitle the patient to medical care?
On the provider side, are ODs compensated for each visit?
Do the economics pan out?

Site members can read more about the offer, and discuss the economics of such a program.

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Practice ManagementTechnology

LensCrafters Closing Local Labs: The Era of 1-Hour Specs Dead?

This week we saw a flurry of reports throughout many regions of the US that LensCrafters is shuttering their local labs, and will now rely on large, centralized labs to service their corporate stores.

With many stores already lacking an in-house lab, and now with local options disappearing, does this mean that the era of “1-hour lenses”, or “same-day lenses” has come to a close?

Amazon has proven that people are willing to wait up to 2 days if the price and product is right. That very model is killing traditional retailers across the US (including many of the malls where LensCrafters tend to be located!)

So perhaps this speaks more to a changing retail environment than anything else.

Will this change impact your practice? Weigh in!

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ODwire.org RadioPractice ManagementTechnology

Patient and Practice Success: Offering One-of-a-Kind Daily Disposable Contact Lenses [#R055]

In this episode, Adam & Paul speak with Dr. Steven Bennett about the DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lens, and how he’s integrated it into his practice.

We cover:

  • The latest technological advances in daily disposable lenses.
  • How he has managed to fit the vast majority of his contact lens patients in daily disposables, and the DT1specifically.
  • How to select the right patients for this lens.

If you’ve got any questions for Dr. Bennett, this is the thread for them!

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Practice Management

Is Luxottica Squeezing Small OD Offices?

ODwire.org members report that Luxottica has been increasing the minimal frame buys on their designer brands. Failure to sell enough means the product is pulled from your office. Is this fair?

Read the full story & weigh in!
Have your minimum requirements gone up?
Have you switched to alternative brands?

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InterviewODwire.org RadioPractice Management

Using a Custom Soft Lens to Build your Practice – SpecialEyes 54 Multifocal Toric [#R052]

The SpecialEyes 54 Multifocal is a custom soft contact lens option for your presbyopic patients. It is unique in that you can custom tailor the optics to each patient’s individual pupil size via the SpecialEyes Multifocal Simulator.

In this fun ODwire.org Radio show, Drs. Matthew Lampa and Moshe Schwartz discuss both the clinical and practice-building aspects of this lens.

We get into:

  • How the lens fits into their daily practices, and what makes a good candidate for the lens.
  • The importance of customization in obtaining a good fit.
  • How much chair time a fit takes.
  • The process of getting the lens ordered, made and delivered from SpecialEyes.
  • The Cost to the patient (and to the clinician!)
  • How the lens has helped build their contact lens practices, built loyalty among their patients, and generated positive word of mouth!

Thanks again to SpecialEyes for being a site sponsor — their support is appreciated!

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InterviewODwire.org RadioPractice ManagementTechnology

Growing your “Middle Age” Practice to $1MM and Beyond – Dr. Kevin Henne [#R051]

Fewer than 5% of optometric practices ever get past the $1 million dollar a year revenue landmark.

Indeed, according to Dr. Jerry Hayes in his book, getting past the $900k barrier is one of the most daunting challenges a practitioner faces.

The Challenge:
How can a solo practitioner, in practice for 30 years with mostly static growth, ramp up his practice to crack the $1MM barrier?

In this on-the-road episode of ODwire.org Radio, we take a trip to Jacksonville, FL to speak with Dr. Kevin Henne and Dr. Tim Petito.

We first talk to Dr. Henne about how he’s transformed his “mature” practice to accelerate its growth in an attempt to crack the million-dollar revenue barrier.

We specifically cover:

  • Why Dr. Henne decided to “go for it” and accelerate the growth of his practice with new technology, after years of stable growth
  • What tech he decided to implement, including automated refraction systems (the EPIC system) and automated patient recall systems
  • How it altered his workflow
  • Whether or not his staff resisted (or mutinied!)
  • How his gross and net have improved
  • How the perception of his office has changed with patients
  • What some of the challenges were in the implementation phase
  • …. and whether or not he’s made it to $1MM!

Dr. Petito also tells us about his practice which is demographically very different from Dr. Henne’s (ie, more elderly), but still benefitted from new technology.

Dr. Henne and Dr. Petito can take your questions in this thread.

(Thanks to Marco for inviting me into their corporate HQ and providing us with a nice quiet space for us to record the interview! I confess that I totally littered their place with cables, microphones, etc… and I didn’t even have Paul around to blame!)

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