WE ALL have areas of practice we enjoy more than others and, likely, excellent skills in these areas because of our affection for them. One practice, for example, may excel at vision and sports therapy, while another may be masterful at specialty contact lens fits. Although OCT, among other advanced technologies, isn’t a practice specialty, practices that house such devices can benefit from providing them to their — as well as other — practice’s patients. Yes, you read the correctly. Let me explain.

Not all optometry practices have an OCT, for example, due to lack of space, money or perceived necessity. But, that doesn’t mean these practitioners don’t need access to the latest technologies for their patients. Further, physicians in other disciplines would appreciate such access. For example, primary care doctors and endocrinologists may need OCT or fundus photography images to make management decisions.

But, what’s in it for you?

RELATIONSHIPS

You not only provide these doctors with opportunities to provide top-notch care without them having to make the capital investment, you also build reciprocal relationships that ultimately benefit the patients and the practices involved.

For example, if a primary care doctor feels one of his or her patients needs an eye exam, there’s a good chance you’ll be at the top of his referral list. (See “Interdisciplinary Care,” page 44.)

ADDITIONAL REVENUE

When performing imaging, for example for another optometrist, imaging billing is broken into the technical component (capturing the image) and the interpretation/report of the image. (This is indicated via a modifier to the code.) So, financially, both parties benefit.

PERCEPTION

When other doctors send their patients to you, your practice is perceived as one that provides high-quality services, which can reinforce the loyalty of your existing patients.

An important caveat: Assure the referring optometrist that your practice is his or her resource, not a replacement practice, and that you will make his or her patients aware of this by explaining, “The services are for your doctor. You will return to him/her for your ongoing care.” When you make a referring doctor unhappy, you lose his or her trust and business.

DON’T ASSUME

Just because other optometry and doctors’ practices are close by, does not mean they house advanced technology. If you have the latest devices, reach out and let these practices know via letter, email or personal phone call. This entirely different/additional use of equipment may not only be directly profitable by increased revenue from referrals, but also may help to justify further investment in technology. That further investment may be in something that even less people in your area have, but many will need. OM

DR. GERSON practices at Grin Eyecare in Olathe, Kan., a full-scope combined O.D./M.D. practice. Email him at jgerson@hotmail.com or visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.