Dr. Tada (third from left as you look at photo) with practice partner Lisa McKim, OD, (right of Dr. Tada as you look at photo) with members of the practice team. Dr. Tada says the new “Iris” system of intra-office communication keeping things running much smoother than in the past.
Discreet communication solutions in optometry
By Melissa Tada, OD
Dec. 4, 2024
About 15 years ago, I was with a patient. You know this patient, we all have them, a lovely older woman who is there on her outing for the day. She is filling me in on all the goings on in her life, her kids’ lives, her grandkids’ lives, etc.
I, of course, am running 15 minutes behind and I have two patients waiting. I needed to be rescued. But everything I could do would either take more time or get me in trouble with the patient. I could not just walk away from her. I could not type in front of her and send an instant message to the staff. What if she read a message that said “save me”?
A Solution for Quick, Discreet Communication
The next morning was our office meeting. I filled our team in on my dilemma and asked for their help finding a solution. Here was the real issue at hand: I needed someone right away without the patient knowing what was going on or any other patient in the office knowing. From that meeting was born the “Iris” message.
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The instant messaging system technology we use is SideNotesIM. The technology, owned by BlueNote Software, costs us around $150 per month, as a flat rate. There are no additional fees per computer. It is web-based and customizable.
Editor’s Note: There are other similar technologies to choose from to facilitate communication among doctors and staff in your office. These technologies include Microsoft Teams and Slack, among other options. Some EHR systems, such as Crystal Practice Management, and others, also have built-in messaging systems.
It allows us to set up prefilled messages on quick buttons. Each user in the office has their own prepopulated message templates for very quick communication. All staff have it up on the computer for easy access. Doctors use it all the time to get the right staff into the room for hand off and call for specific contact lenses. Staff use it to tell the doctors to get to work. Opticians are notified that they have a patient ready. You can communicate with just one person or the whole office.
Creating a System that is Invisible to the Patient
We came up with a button that just says “Iris.” Everyone in the office has an Iris button. When you send it, it just dings and says “Iris.” It is an innocuous word with great meaning. It means whoever sent it needs someone, anyone, right away. If a patient reads it, they have no idea what it means. It has been used for so many reasons: to save me with a talkative patient, to help staff stuck with a patient who is inappropriate, for help with a patient who passed out and many other situations.
Now, when an Iris message is sent, you can hear quick feet coming down the hall. No one knows what it is for, but they are ready for anything, and often a good story!
Melissa Tada, OD, is a partner with Mountain View Vision, a Vision Source practice in Colorado Springs, Colo. To contact her: MTada@visionsource.com
