New This Week
Technology in Every Aspect of the Exam
Ed Liu, OD,of Foothill Optometric Group in Pleasanton, Calif., integrates high-tech instrumentation in an office-wide system. The initial Rx reading, taken by staff with an autorefractor, is automatically entered into the system alongside the past Rx–allowing the OD to be ready to be informed when they see the patient. EHR records are pre-scanned into the system, so they can be referenced in the exam. Further, retinal scans and OCT results can be presented to the patient on screens throughout the office. The upshot: Technology demonstrates to patients the full scope of medical optometric services. >>READ MORE >>
Practice Management
Peer Business Groups Can Serve as Your Ground Crew
By Marc B. Nelson, OD
Being a solo practitioner can be lonely–but joining a peer business group gives you a team of experts who help you make informed business decisions about growing and managing your practice. Connecting online makes it convenient. >>READ MORE>>
Contact Lenses
Multifocal CLs: Aging Population Makes This a Practice-Builder
By Ellie W. Hattori, OD
Our aging population increases the need for multifocal contact lenses. Serving patient needs with the latest materials and designs makes multifocal CLs a practice-builder. >>READ MORE>>
Software Solutions/EHR
Utilize EHR to Enhance Doctor-Patient Interactions
By Palmer N. Lee, OD
Electronic health records can improve interaction between doctor and patient in the exam room. Utilize this technology for more meaningful discussions of eye health and lifestyle needs.
Optometric Business Innovators: Optical Dispensing
Whether it’s improving the eyecare experience through new technology or adapting to electronic health records, from the exam room to the back-office, here are forward-thinking ODs who embrace new ideas that set their practices apart. They are the focus of our third annual Optometric Business Innovators report, a special collaborative project between Vision Monday and Review of Optometric Business. This month, we share lessons from ODs who are innovative in optical dispensing. >>READ MORE>>
ADVERTORIAL
Alcon DAILIES TOTAL 1 Contact Lenses: Practice Differentiator
Your contact lens patients are always in search of that ultra-comfortable lens, and you as doctor are always in search of a healthy option for your patient’s eyes. The introduction this year of Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses have provided you with a contact lens that meets your patients’ need for the ultimate in comfort and your need as doctor for a lens you can feel good about prescribing.
>>READ MORE>>
ROB Fast Fact
How Many Lower-Income Vs. Higher-Income Consumers Opt for No-Line Bifocals/Progressives?
There is a disparity between higher and lower income consumers when it comes to investment in no-line bifocals/progressive lenses, according to the June 2013 Vision Council VisionWatch Member Benefit Report. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed with household incomes of $60,000 and over annually chose to purchase no-line bifocals/progressives, while just 36 percent of those with annual household incomes under $60,000 made the same choice. By contrast, 53.7 percent of those with household incomes under $60,000 chose bifocals/trifocals compared to 46.3 percent of those with household incomes of $60,000 and over.
Click HERE to read more from Review of Optometric Business professional editors Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, and Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, on educating all patients on the benefits of progressive lenses.
In Brief
How Technology Transforms Retail: Register for VM’s dba LIVE at VEW
Four optical industry speakers, including Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, a prominent independent optometrist, will present their perspectives about how “Technology Reinvents the Retail Experience” at the upcoming new, Vision Monday’s dba LIVE conference, a two-hour event to be held in Las Vegas from 4 pm-6 pm on Oct. 2, 2013, just prior to the start of International Vision Expo West (Oct. 3-5). >>READ MORE>>
Serving the Hispanic Community: New Complimentary Video from Transitions Optical
Hispanic Heritage Month is here: Sept. 15-Oct. 15. Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic minority population in the US, with projections indicating that they will make up nearly a third of the population by 2050. Transitions Optical offers a complimentary video as guidance in serving the Hispanic community.
>>READ MORE and ACCESS VIDEO>>
Challenge –> Solution
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Practice Challenge…
Where Can I Get Good Advice on Coding and Billing?The ins and outs of coding and billing are constantly changing. To help you keep up, Review of Optometric Business contributors regularly post new updates and tips to help you negotiate a complex area that has great bearing on practice profitability.
…Practice Solution
- Are You Running a Modern Billing Department? If Not, Here’s How
- Cataract Co-Management: Do You Know How to Code for It?
- Coding Changes in 2013: Changes and Resources
Recent Articles of Note
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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
