Revitalizing The Established Practice Through Technology

[AdminWolf]

Revitalizing The Established Practice Through Technology
with Kevin Henne, OD



In this talk, Dr. Kevin Henne of Winter Haven, FL -- who last gave an ODwire.org presentation on "How to Grow your Middle Aged Practice to $1MM and Beyond!" -- talks about how he judiciously used technology to revitalize his established (30+ year old) practice, and turbocharged its growth after a period of plateau.

We review the how the different types of technology he implemented (including the latest instruments & refractive technology, patient recall and marketing systems, and alterations to his workflow) improved his efficiency, his staff's efficiency, and increased patient throughput.

This show is a must-watch for any practitioner with an established practice looking to enhance its growth.



Our thanks to Marco for sponsoring last night's show & being a great supporter of ODwire.org throughout the years!

 

[AdminWolf]

Please use this thread if you'd like to ask any questions -- this is a "real-life" scenario, and Dr. Henne's private practice is typical of many throughout the US.

 

[AdminWolf]

Thanks again to Dr. Henne, that was a great show. Interesting to see how quickly his patient demand spiked once he found the right formula!

 

[Thomas Weshefsky O.D.]

Kevin,

Thanks for the webinar, it was interesting, you did a great job and I appreciate your time.
With the refraction delegated to a tech using the Epic system, I am interested in the actual physical arrangement of your exam lanes. How many lanes do you have and do you have a connected Marco electronic refractor in each lane or a manual phoroptor?

Thanks for your help.

Tom Weshefsky, O.D., FIAO

 

[Kevin Henne]

Tom- Glad you liked the program.

The Marco system can be configured in a number of different ways. I have 3 traditional lanes, each with a manual phoropter(which I had before the Epic purchase) for an occasional double check, or a patient who just can't sit up to the TRS 5100, like a child or other physical condition.

I run the Epic system in a separate area, and then electronically transmit the data into the exam room monitor so that I can discuss the findings with the patient. When I say Epic system, that is the all in one, OPD and TRS 5100 (I believe that is the model number).

Some practitioners have one OPD and a TRS 5100 (Subjective, electronic phoropter) in each room. There are certainly advantages to each, but I find that I only need one TRS 5100 system instead of 3, one in each room. Only one OPD is necessary.

I find it is good for my back and shoulder, (I am in excellent health, but 35 years of the repetitious movement of spinning the dials, it takes a toll on the body), my mental (fatigue and boredom) condition as far as not having to collect all the data, but interpret the data, the wow factor, and the amazing amount of data involving the physiologic optics of the eye, the increased patient flow, it is a no brainer now, at the time of purchase I was nearly, but not 100% convinced.

I am now 110% convinced.

 

[Greg Gemoules]

I find it is good for my back and shoulder, (I am in excellent health, but 35 years of the repetitious movement of spinning the dials, it takes a toll on the body), my mental (fatigue and boredom) condition as far as not having to collect all the data, but interpret the data, the wow factor, and the amazing amount of data involving the physiologic optics of the eye, the increased patient flow, it is a no brainer now, at the time of purchase I was nearly, but not 100% convinced.

Seriously now? Optometrists typically have long careers. I've been at it for more than 30 years and don't seem to have too many issues. The hand I use to twist the dials has very little if any arthritis, and that arm is attached to a shoulder I fractured a couple of years ago along with a rotator cuff tear, and it works fine....almost better than the other arm that doesn't get used as much.

But I agree that it's probably a good time to start finding a replacement for the phoropter.

 

[Lloyd Pate]

Seriously now? Optometrists typically have long careers. I've been at it for more than 30 years and don't seem to have too many issues. The hand I use to twist the dials has very little if any arthritis, and that arm is attached to a shoulder I fractured a couple of years ago along with a rotator cuff tear, and it works fine....almost better than the other arm that doesn't get used as much.

You are not a girly man. The people who complain about how bad a phoropter is on the shoulders need some training.

 

[Rahul M. Gupta]

But I agree that it's probably a good time to start finding a replacement for the phoropter.

The best replacement for using a phoropter probably is hiring a technician to use it.

 

[Greg Gemoules]

The best replacement for using a phoropter probably is hiring a technician to use it.

In Texas we can't delegate the refraction. The sight of the phoropter = archaism. It's like going to a dentist who uses a pulley-driven drill. Remember those? Of course not. Let's get off our collective a**** and move into the refraction of the 21st century: wavefront. If you had an aberrometer, you could fit wavefront-guided contact lenses.

 

[Kevin Henne]

Count your blessings!!

 

[Rahul M. Gupta]

An interesting statement in this video, with which I'm surprised no one has raised issue: The speaker's technician is said to have properly learned refraction from scratch — better than the doctor, who has been practicing optometry for thirty-five years — in a day and a half (~35:00 into the video). For all the indignation one hears espoused against the quality of ophthalmologists' technicians' refraction, I'd've predicted more commentary on this point.

 

[Lloyd Pate]

An interesting statement in this video, with which I'm surprised no one has raised issue: The speaker's technician is said to have properly learned refraction from scratch — better than the doctor, who has been practicing optometry for thirty-five years — in a day and a half (~35:00 into the video). For all the indignation one hears espoused against the quality of ophthalmologists' technicians' refraction, I'd've predicted more commentary on this point.

I did not watch the video, but that sounds like a totally stupid statement. If the tech was better after a day and a half, the doc had to have been terrible.

 

[Rahul M. Gupta]

I did not watch the video, but that sounds like a totally stupid statement. If the tech was better after a day and a half, the doc had to have been terrible.

You can play the video, and simply fast forward to the time — it begins around 35:00, and occupies many seconds.

 

[Lloyd Pate]

You can play the video, and simply fast forward to the time — it begins around 35:00, and occupies many seconds.

Sad.

 

[Kevin Henne]

Please allow me to clarify. The techs in the training, and learning from scratch on the instrument were better in a day and a half because they did not have over 30+ years of working with a manual phoropter to unlearn in order to learn the buttons on the control panel. The doctor determines the data set to be gathered and the specific testing routine that all techs will follow utilizing the program- so there is consistency regardless of who actually runs the testing routine. Also, please remember this system gathers an accurate refraction, not a prescription, which is still in the Doctors hands based on training, experience, and professional judgment.

 

[Lloyd Pate]

Please allow me to clarify. The techs in the training, and learning from scratch on the instrument were better in a day and a half because they did not have over 30+ years of working with a manual phoropter to unlearn in order to learn the buttons on the control panel. The doctor determines the data set to be gathered and the specific testing routine that all techs will follow utilizing the program- so there is consistency regardless of who actually runs the testing routine. Also, please remember this system gathers an accurate refraction, not a prescription, which is still in the Doctors hands based on training, experience, and professional judgment.

I would disagree on the gathering an accurate refraction part.

 

[Frederick Frost]

Dr. Henne,

I want to thank you for sharing your story, and congratulations on your success. I have purchased the two books you mentioned in the webinar, and I'm looking forward to reading them.

To everyone else,

Every success I have achieved in my life, I have directly, or indirectly owed, to interacting with and reading about successful people.

If you want to be successful in life, this is how you do it. You don't have to adopt every idea or way they do things, but in the study of every successful person there lies at least one or two gifts that you can enjoy, and adapt to one's own success.

When someone gives you a nice caring gift, don't complain about the wrapping paper.


Fred