BUSINESS

  BY THE NUMBERS

COLLECT DATA FOR TECHNOLOGY

DOCTOR CONVERSATIONS INFLUENCE EVERY PRACTICE BENCHMARK

JAY BINKOWITZ

WE ARE always trying to find ways to benchmark our practices and our team, but what about our docs? All the metrics can be traced back to the doctors and the conversations that are — or are not — taking place during the exam.

For example, I track digital progressive lenses, patients’ own used frames, $0 frames, second pairs, polarized, photochromic and non-glare lenses by doctor. It’s amazing how these vary by doctor, plan and patient type.

Assess revenue per exam in the clinic, including each of the technologies you use, such as OCT, as its own business. Here’s how:

MEASURE CLINIC OFFERINGS

Ask yourself:

• How many patients did I see this week?

• How many of them took advantage of each of the additional evaluations I offered?

• What was the average revenue per exam?

• Which doctor and tech team performed best?

• Which patients, with which plans, took advantage of my offer?

To measure the capture rate: Number of times your practice provided the technology/number of patients = Conversion rate. For example, 20 OCTs provided/50 total patients seen per week = 40% OCT conversion rate.

Track each technology this way, share your findings with your team, and incentivize them to increase it. Ideally, you will measure this weekly. Each time, create a plan for incremental growth, about 5%.

PROVIDE SUPPORT

We create team expectations that may not be supported in the exam. Here are some ways to do so:

1. Do you have an internal prescription pad to “prescribe” more than one pair of glasses for patients’ multiple tasks?

2. How do you relate prescribed information to your patients? Do you let Mrs. Jones know that with her “vision savings plan” she can not only get her primary eyewear, but she can also get the prescription sunglasses she needs?

3. Do you let Mrs. Jones know when it’s time to put her frames out to pasture? For example: “Your frames make me apprehensive about using them for your new lenses; I will have our optician show you frames you can have confidence in, as they will be covered with our great eyewear guarantee.”

4. Do you educate your patients on the great services you offer. For example, “Mrs. Jones, an OCT will give us a detailed scan of your retina, allowing us to monitor it as you age for eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration.”

FOLLOW THE LEADER

The bottom line to “What’s up Doc?” is you. How are you supporting the results of your team? Ask yourself during every exam, and track these discussion points as you implement them. OM

MR. BINKOWITZ is president of GPN, a leading businesss management company based in Farmingdale, N.Y. He has had extensive experience in retail operations, merchandising and marketing. Email him at jay@GatewayPN.com, or to comment on this article, visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment.