New This Week
Show Patients Why Our Services Are Worth It
Lisa Shin, OD, believes that ODs need to demonstrate the value of the services they provide in a comprehensive eye exam. Explain each test, tell why it’s done and show images of the serious eye conditions that testing can detect.. >>READ MORE>>
Frames
Optical Sales Booster: Know When to Use the Hard Sell vs. the Soft Sell
By Linda Hardy, LDO, CPOT, COA
Increase your staff’s selling power in the optical by teaching two basic sales techniques–and showing when it’s better to use one vs. the other. >>READ MORE>
EHR/Software Solutions
Patient Portals: How to Train Your Patients to Use Them
By Robert L. Bass, OD, FAAO
Patient portals, available in your EHR, enable patients to engage in their care and treatment plan—while helping you to meet Meaningful Use requirements. The key to boosting usage: Train patients to use their portals.
>>READ MORE>>
Marketing
Four Keys to Increasing Patient Use of FSA/HSA Dollars in Your Practice
By Troy Humphreys, OD, FAAO
Encourage patients to use their flex-spending and health saving account dollars in your office before the end of the year. Generate revenues by suggesting the purchase of additional eyewear and contact lenses. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Fast Fact
Growth Opportunity: How Many Patients Are Impacted By Low Vision?
You have the opportunity to help patients and build your practice in the process by providing low vision services, findings of The Vision Council’s 2015 Low Vision Report suggest. One-in-28 Americans age 40 and above have low vision. An upward trend will continue over the next 20 years as 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 each day. Some 20 million Americans have low vision caused by cataracts, according to the report, while 2.07 million have low vision stemming from age-related macular degeneration. Some 7.6 million have low vision caused by diabetic retinopathy, and 3 million have low vision related to glaucoma.
Click HERE to read more on provided care for low vision patients from Review of Optometric Business professional editors Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, and Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD.
In Brief
Polaroid Sunglasses Launches UV Protection App
Polaroid Sunglasses is launching an international awareness campaign about the risks of UV radiation, as well as a UV app that measures UV radiation and alerts the user when it reaches dangerous levels. >>READ MORE>>
Medicare Fee Schedule for 2016 Contains AOA-Backed Policies
Medicare’s 2016 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) contains several AOA-backed policies that promote greater access to doctors of optometry for America’s Medicare beneficiaries, according to an announcement from the AOA. <<READ MORE>>
Challenge –> Solution
-
Practice Challenge…
How do I successfully implement ICD-10?Use of ICD-10 coding became mandatory on Oct. 1. How is your practice faring so far? Here is how four contributors approached this challenge over the last year.
…Practice Solution
- Five Costly Errors in Billing & Coding: Find Them & Correct Them
- ICD-10: Educational Resources to Get Staff on Board
- ICD-10: Get Ready to Update Coding
Recent Articles of Note
-
Getting There: Planning a Successful Optometric Career
By Robert Schultz -
Be Positive, and Always Thank Your Patient
An Optometric Minute video with Eric M. White, OD -
Capture Rate Booster: Train Staff to Fill Patient Prescriptions
By Stuart J. Thomas, OD, and Ellen Byrum-Goad, LDO