Designing an Office with a Feeling

Barbara L. Wright, CID, of Barbara Wright Designs, describes how she designed and created a concept-based eyecare office and optical dispensary for Dr. Robert Alongi of Gurnee Eyecare in Gurnee, Ill. In an office walk-through, Barbara shows how important it is to make a good first impression with a cohesive design and rich-looking materials. Key design elements: Specially created areas for high-end and mid-priced eyewear; a separate area for picking up eyewear, so as not to interrupt presentations at styling tables; and a dedicated area for contact lens dispensing and care instruction.
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Billing & Coding

Code Correctly for External Ocular Infections

By Eric Botts, OD
Treating external ocular infections is a practice builder. Coding correctly and processing billing efficiently makes it profitable.
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Doctor-Patient Relations

Screen High-Risk Patients to Provide Targeted Services

By Peter Bae, OD, MS

Train staff to screen for ocular conditions according to ethnicity, gender, age and lifestyle. You will recognize and treat more conditions, as a result. >>READ MORE>>

Contact Lenses

Enhance Compliance with Daily Replacement Contact Lenses

By William B. Potter, OD

To increase compliance, present contact lens patients with a value proposition: Daily replacement lenses cost more but provide more in comfort, eye health and visual performance.
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How Many Patients Choose Independent Eyecare for Exams?

Sixty-eight percent of consumers responding to The Vision Council’s Consumer Barometer for the twelve months ending June 12, 2012, said they went to an independent eyecare practitioner for their last eye exam. Thirty-two percent chose to have their exam at locations such as conventional chain optical stores, mass merchandisers or optical centers in department stores. The percentage who chose independents has stayed almost the same for this period on the calendar over the last few years–from 67 percent in 2010 to 66.9 percent in 2011 to the current 68 percent.

Click HERE to read more from Review of Optometric Business professional editors Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, and Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, on competing more effectively with corporate-owned eyecare competitors.

Management & Business Academy Staff Management Survey 2012 Now Available

The Management & Business Academy, sponsored by Alcon and Essilor, have released the Staff Management Survey: 2012. This resource features findings regarding staff hiring, compensation and management practices and OD desires for staff improvements.
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The Majority of Independent ECPs Participate in Charities, According to a New Transitions Optical Study

More than 70 percent of independent eyecare practices are actively participating in charitable activities, according to research released through the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life Fund. However, the survey also revealed that there are barriers to increasing the amount of outreach being done, as well as opportunities to improve how programs are utilized and communicated. >>READ MORE>>

ROB Poll Results

Readers Say Messy Reception Area Is Their “Stickiest” Housekeeping Situation

Asked which part of their office posed the greatest housekeeping challenge, 47 percent of ROB readers cited a reception area with scattered reading materials and discarded items like empty cups while 29 percent noted their disorganized contact lens area or room as a problem. Twenty-four percent said their office bathroom often is not as clean as they would like.