Practice Metrics

How Integrated Is Your Practice Management System?

Many ODs are taking care to integrate their practice management software with other electronic and online systems in their office, according to The Vision Council’s VisionWatch 2012 Eye Care Professional Report. Around 68 percent of respondents whose practices had a practice management system said their system was either fully (25 percent) or partially (42 percent) integrated with other equipment. Around 22 percent said their practice management systems were not integrated with other equipment or software. Some 75 percent said their system was integrated with online ordering systems. Independent opticianry chains and large independent locations (independents with more than one location) were especially likely to say they had a practice management system that was integrated with online ordering systems.

The major value to integrating your practice management software with other electronic devices within the office is increased efficiency. Without this function, staff is manually entering information into your practice management program. This costs time. Time is money. Time is also staff efficiency. When staff is engaged in entering information into your practice management software, they cannot be helping a patient select that second pair of eyeglasses or explaining why single-use contact lenses are great for patients who are already wearing two-week or monthly contacts.

Another reason to integrate your practice management software is to eliminate the human element. People make mistakes. Mistakes cost time to discover and to fix. When one electronic device is talking to another one directly, there is less chance for an error to occur.

Having a fully integrated office where your practice management software is gathering information directly frees up your staff to work on other things that will improve the practice, and ultimately, both saves and makes money for the practice.

What about instruments that are not able to communicate with your practice management software? Bridge software can be purchased or created to handle the task. What if that can’t be done? Then, you know what you are looking for when you purchase new equipment–the ability to communicate with your practice management software.

There is there a cost to integrate your practice management software, but it is well worth the price.

Your action plan this week is to review your practice management software. Do you have it communicating with every electronic device in your office that will help free up your staff from manual entry and increase accuracy of data? If not, this is the week to make it happen.

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