New This Week
Having a Strong Recall Program
Neil W. Draisin, OD, of Draisin Vision Group in Charleston, S.C., implements a patient recall program to educate patients about the importance of caring for their eyes with a yearly exam. Patients address recall cards in their own handwriting, which are sent to them two weeks prior to their appointment. They then receive a reminder phone call three days prior and an automated call one to two days prior to ensure they make it to the office. >>READ MORE>>
Use Display Trays to Highlight Frames Options
By Evan Kestenbaum, MBA
You can use specialized display trays to help patients narrow their frames choices, and choose the one that bests suits their needs. >>READ MORE>>
Boost Treatment of Diabetic Patients to Grow Practice
By Jason Miller, OD, MBA
You have the opportunity to improve your services to diabetic patients to improve their vision, and create a new growth sector of your practice. >>READ MORE>>
Perfect Social Media Management: Why to Delegate and How to Do It
By Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
By delegating social media tasks to your staff, you can enhance your use of social media as marketing medium and free up more time to spend with your patients. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Fast Fact
Nearly Half of all Americans Own Smartphone
Some 83 percent of U.S. adults have a cell phone of some kind, and 42 percent of them own a smartphone, according to the Pew Internet Project. Eight-seven percent of smartphone owners access the internet or e-mail on a hand-held device, including two-thirds (68 percent) who do so on a typical day. When asked what device they normally use to access the internet, 25 percent of smartphone owners say they mostly go online using their phone, rather than with a computer.
In Brief
New MBA Program on World Class Staffing to Premier at PEN’sPreserving Independent Optometry Symposia
A unique program on how to create and inspire a world-class optometric staff will premier at two upcoming symposia of Preserving Independent Optometry (PIO), sponsored by Primary Eye Network (PEN), the practice development division of ABB CONCISE.
The program, “Total Practice Success: A Symposium for a World Class Staff,” was created by the Management & Business Academy (MBA), sponsored by CIBA VISION and Essilor. The 1.5-day program features lectures by three leading voices in the optometric field, as well as an in-depth workshop on selling that is geared to the entire practice. Participants also will receive a wealth of print and online resources that reflect the unique metrics-based mission of the MBA program. These resources provide benchmarks and strategies to manage staff and measure overall practice performance.
“Total Practice Success” will be offered at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on September 16-17. The program also will be offered at the Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley, Calif., on October 28-29. For more information, and to register: www.PrimaryEye.net/PIO. Or call (800) 444-9230.
Ophthalmologists Criticize Kentucky Proposal for Surgery by ODS
Ophthalmologists say proposed regulations in Kentucky that would allow optometrists to perform some surgeries do not go far enough to protect patients, according to the Herald Leader. Ophthalmologists opposed passage of Senate Bill 110, which allowed optometrists to expand therapeutic duties to include some laser surgeries, the limited use of injections and the use of scalpels for some procedures involving the eyes.
The new law does not allow optometrists to perform Lasik corrective surgery or any other procedure requiring general anesthesia.Ophthalmologists, who attend medical school and have years of advanced training, say the proposed regulations do not spell out how many hours of training optometrists must have or how many procedures they must perform before being certified.” The document fails to protect the residents of Kentucky because it’s vague, non-specific and puts patients at risk because of these shortcomings,” said Dr. Woodford Van Meter, president of the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons and a member of the University of Kentucky medical faculty.
Optometrists counter that the new regulations are more stringent and detailed than most regulations for new medical procedures. “Most of the health care boards do not require any credentialing when there is a new procedure,” said Dr. Joe Ellis, a Benton optometrist and past president of the American Optometric Association.
Ophthalmologists opposed passage of Senate Bill 110, which allowed optometrists to expand therapeutic duties to include some laser surgeries, the limited use of injections and the use of scalpels for some procedures involving the eyes.
The new law does not allow optometrists to perform Lasik corrective surgery or any other procedure requiring general anesthesia.
ROB Poll: Most ODs Gain Patients from Web Site
Some 65 percent of ROB readers derive up to 5 percent of patients from their web site; 24 percent gain 10 to 15 percent from their web site; 7 percent get 10 to 15 percent from their site; and 4 percent receive 15 to 20 percent of patients from their web site.
