An optometry practice always needs to think about when to invest in new technology. But once that new piece of equipment is in the clinic, how do we prevent it from becoming ignored, like that once “must-have” piece of exercise equipment that gets turned into a clothes rack?
One of the most important ways to prevent this is to properly introduce the new technology to the people who will be using it the most – your staff. Specifically, if they can be brought on board, this will go a long way toward ensuring your new equipment isn’t gathering dust. To bring staff on board I recommend the following:
(Note: For the purposes of this article, think of new technology as anything you bring into the office that will change or disrupt the current workflow. This is not just equipment. It may also be new contact lens, software changes, and retail products.)
Putting it into Practice
Once you have a plan in place for staff buy-in, here are a few final considerations for making your new equipment at-home in your practice:
- When to buy: When to implement the new technology is often underrated. It is important to look at the schedule and methodically plan when to do the training. For instance, I would never bring in anything new in January, March, August, or December. Those months have always been the busiest and most productive months. I never want to do anything to disrupt patient flow in those periods.
- Get staff input: When changing workflow or process, it is critical to get staff input. When evaluating the technology this should come up, and when you start implementation it is important to get staff input and to continue and refine the process.
- Training: The key to success in the office is always training. Training is even more critical when bringing in new technology. Part of the decision to buy always revolves around the level of training and support that comes with the purchase. This is also an area where I think it is critical for everyone to receive training. Let’s say you buy a new autorefractor. Utilizing the company to train staff is a great way to get some cross training into the practice. Although an autorefractor may be primarily used by the technicians having the front desk staff, optical staff, billing staff and everyone in the practice train will elevate the overall practice.
- Focus on the new workflow: While every technology is not for every patient, the first couple of weeks often determines success. It is very important to focus on the new workflow and constantly refine the flow in that first couple of weeks, so that the new technology becomes a consistent offering and part of the practice. To use the line from a country song, when it comes to technology you want to go slow just as fast as you can.
- Buying for multiple offices: For those of you with multiple locations, you also need to determine whether you are putting something in across all offices or in individual offices. I have always found it best when we can keep offices consistent as much as possible. This is a benefit to doctors and staff, especially if they work in multiple offices. Of course, this is easier with software platforms and some less expensive technologies. If you get into more expensive capital equipment costs, then maybe a hub and spoke model (where you have the equipment in one office and refer in for the specialty) is a better option.
Communicate the technology’s value
For us to get staff buy in, we need to be able to clearly and simply communicate why we are bringing in new technology.
So, what are some good reasons to bring technology into practice?
- It improves patient care: Obviously, one of the main reasons is and will always be to improve patient care, and staff will quickly accept technology that helps accomplish this. An example would be adding technology that can aid in diagnosing and managing disease, such as fundus photography or OCT.
- It improves efficiency: Improving efficiency and increasing tasks that can be delegated to staff are other important reasons to bring in new technology. Given the third-party payor model, efficiency and delegation are critical components to practice success. With the current shortage of optometrists, delegating staff and using technology is a great way to maintain or expand one’s practice. As an added benefit, I have found that the more we can delegate and allow staff to do, the more they embrace their role in the practice. In my practice, I have found new equipment which allows for delegating as much pretesting as possible can dramatically streamline the patient flow.
- It adds new revenue: If you do have plenty of space, staff and/or doctor coverage, then new technology can be a way to add a new revenue center and to distinguish your practice. The opportunities can include myopia control, dry eye disease, sports vision, low vision or just expanding into medical optometry. In-office procedures, such as those for the treatment of dry eye, add revenue and also have the added benefit of letting staff have more responsibilities. Historically in my offices, staff have received bonuses based on revenue growth, so all staff gets excited when adding new revenue streams.
Get staff input
Once you’ve decided why you want a new piece of technology, you need to get input from the rest of your staff. It is important that the actual end user of the technology be part of the evaluation. Making sure staff and doctors get hands on with the technology and get their questions and concerns answered BEFORE buying implementing is a key to success. When choosing between instruments, letting staff have input makes them part of the process and helps psychologically commit them to making the technology work.
Find a “champion”
Other doctors in the practice and key staff must be part of the process. You will need champions (i.e., a tech that can advocate for the new piece of equipment) in practice to help drive the implementation and adoption (for more information on choosing a champion, see the article "Foster a culture of innovation,” from our August 2022 issue, at bit.ly/OM822champion).
Create goals and incentives
After you know what new technology you’re adding, you also need to set goals and targets for that technology and communicate them to staff. If it’s a new instrument, maybe this is the number of procedures or tests that are completed. If it’s a new contact lens or optical lenses, then the number of fits or sales can be a metric. A good financial analysis before buying can help set these targets. Once you know the targets, then you must make sure everyone knows what you want to accomplish. What gets measured is what gets done. If you don’t have a target, then don’t buy the technology. When we implemented wide field imaging years ago, we had a target of 80% of patients opting in for the imaging. The target can be revenue based or number of procedures, but the key is to have a goal.
And while you want to meet your quotas, I would not use incentives or spiffs long-term for encouraging individual sales, products, or procedures. I much prefer a wholistic approach where everyone is rewarded based on overall practice growth and cost containment.
Having said that, adding a short-term incentive for number of sales, fits or procedures can be a way to get the new technology integrated into the workflow. I like to make it an office goal instead of a goal for any one person or area in the practice.
Bottom Line
Adding new technologies can be a great way to increase practice efficiency, allow for delegation to staff, and/or create a new revenue center (and for a few last tips, see sidebar “Putting it into Practice,” on right). Just be sure to get your team on board, and then you can reap the benefits! OM
