The Future of Eye Care Is … Cyber

With a click, tap, or swipe, I order groceries, make sure my coffee subscription arrives on time, and add to my cart those new athletic shoes that appeared on my social media feed. As a consumer, I’m easily able to streamline how and when I shop. The variety of goods and even services that I can buy with the click of a button caters to a sense of convenience and ease.

The direct-to-consumer approach is increasingly digital, with marketing that allows brands to reach consumers no matter what time of day and just about anywhere cell phone service and/or Wi-Fi connection reaches. For me, it’s when I’m in the car, waiting for my daughter’s volleyball practice to end, scrolling on my phone during lunch, or checking emails during the early morning hours at home.

THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE IN EYE CARE

Technological advances are inevitable, and the future no doubt looks more and more digital. In the eye care and optical space, online retailers, such as Zenni and Warby Parker, are two great examples that confirm that consumers—our patients—are clearly in favor of online options. Digital platforms allow these brands to communicate their value proposition directly to consumers regardless of time or place. Consumers tend to choose products based on marketing messages in their inboxes, social media feeds, etc.

Given these trends, it makes sense for us from a business perspective to create a digital experience for our own patients. Adopting such technology into our practices can help build stronger relationships with our patients, drive loyalty, and enhance personalization, while also leveraging online commerce.

Adding an online eye wear inventory platform that allows patients to shop around and browse your frame selection recaptures your patient’s attention after their examination, boosts second-pair purchases, and provides various digital touchpoints outside of your office to increase and maximize revenue.

SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE

My decision to add an online eye wear inventory platform came from a frustrating sense of disconnect with our patients after their comprehensive eye exam. Once a year, we connect with our eye wear patients in-office to help them select frames and lenses. And that’s it. One shot. One touchpoint. Adopting e-commerce was my solution to meeting patients where they already are: in the digital marketplace.

Selling my practice’s inventory online has been a beneficial and well-used addition to my practice. What I originally assumed would take some time for patients to adopt and use has added an easy, seamless experience from browsing to purchasing inside and outside of my practice. As with adopting any new technology or process into a practice, it takes some time to train, integrate, and sync. I recommend assigning a dedicated, responsible staff member to be a key point person for the rest of the team. Hiccups are inevitable as technology grows, but they are also typically easily maneuverable, and the best part is that adding a digital platform is relatively low risk.

Adding an e-commerce platform to your optometry practice is a valuable move. It expands your reach, is convenient for patients, and enhances overall satisfaction. By providing online purchasing options, you connect with your patients more often, increase revenue streams, and position your practice as a modern and accessible choice in the industry.

VIRTUAL SHIFT

The past 3 years has seen a huge transformation within the workplace, and eye care practices have not been exempt from it. Labor trends, including staffing shortages, rising costs, and high employee turnover, have opened the door to unconventional approaches to staffing. The virtual staffing that used to occur only in certain health care sectors is now finding a niche in eye care. As technology continues to advance and new staffing solutions evolve, eye care can’t help but look more and more virtual.

Virtual team members with eye care-specific skills are touting roles as virtual opticians, ophthalmic techs, exam scribes, and front-desk coordinators. Virtual medical assistants have become a nontraditional solution to a variety of staffing issues, and can be a valuable addition to an eye care team, streamlining an optometric practice by creating a less stressful and more productive work environment.

My interest in adding a virtual assistant arose from a conversation with a psychiatrist colleague of mine. After listening to me lament about staff turnover and the stress on my existing staff regarding increased workload, she asked why I didn’t have a virtual assistant. To be completely honest, I had not thought of it until that moment. She told me about her refreshingly positive experience with her virtual assistant, and I decided to look further into it. I contacted a company, and started screening candidates.

After interviewing candidates, the onboarding process, and IT setup, I quickly learned the most difficult part of the process: training. I chose a company (recommended by my psychiatrist friend) that places virtual assistants in health care, but it was not specific to eye care. Although I’m no stranger to hiring staff without eye care experience and training them accordingly, training someone virtually from scratch is a much more difficult and time-consuming task.

Fast-forward a little more than a year, and our virtual assistant has drastically alleviated some of the workload of other team members so they can focus more on patients, rather than the onslaught of administrative tasks. She primarily reroutes calls to respective departments in our office and schedules, confirms, and preappoints patients. She verifies insurance, does basic billing tasks, and oversees referrals and referral follow-ups. She also completes various tasks assigned to her throughout the day by my practice manager, lab manager, and patient care coordinator.

Incorporating a virtual assistant into an eye care practice can yield numerous benefits and represent a valuable addition to any eye care team. Ultimately, embracing a virtual staff member not only optimizes the workflow within the eye care practice, but also ensures a more patient-focused and adaptive approach to care delivery.

LOOKING FORWARD

The future of eye care is undeniably heading in the cyber direction, marked by the integration of both digital commerce platforms and virtual staffing solutions. Embracing these technological advances not only enhances accessibility for patients, but also streamlines operations, allowing me and my team to focus more on the patient’s in-office experience.