If you don’t provide
the answers patients want they’ll seek them on their
own. Unfortunately, they may get the wrong
information in that process. Why not guide them to a
reliable Web site to continue the education process
and ensure that they get the correct information?
Patients will appreciate your concern and attention
to detail.
Enhancing Patient Diagnosis
As primary eyecare providers we are entrusted with
both the visual and medical eye care needs of our
patients. Technology can aid in this all
encompassing task. One of my favorite tools has been
a handheld autorefractor. It shaves time off of the
examination process and also “wows” the patient.
Corneal topography aids in contact lens fitting as
well as diagnosis of corneal ectasia. Scanning
computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging (SCODI)
instruments such as the RTA, GDX, and HRT provide
insight into diagnosis of ocular disease as well as
confirmation to patients of your commitment to
excellent care.
My practice has recently added a corneal endothelial
cell counter. It allows us to obtain an endothelial
cell count prior to cataract surgery. A low count is
often consistent with persistent corneal edema after
cataract surgery utilizing phacoemulsification. It
is also helpful in tracking polymegathism and
pleomorphism in contact lens wearers as well as
monitoring Fuch’s dystrophy patients. This
instrument provides information to both the contact
lens and surgery components of the practice.
Patients find technology like this sets you apart
from other providers.
Patient
Management Possibilities
Technology greatly enhances our ability to deliver
excellent care. Let your patients know that you’re
recommending the latest technology in contact lens
care when you recommend silicone hydrogel lenses.
Consider the latest generation antibiotics when
treating a disease process. Track progression of
corneal ectasia with topography and glaucoma with
automated visual fields. Both contact lenses and
spectacle lenses that correct for higher order
aberrations are available! The possibilities of
patient care afforded by technology will continue to
emerge at record pace.
Deciding Where to Start
Two factors that will influence your decisions with
regard to incorporating technology into your
practice are cost and practice setting. Most
technology is cost intensive. There are ways,
however, to embrace technology even if a capital
investment isn’t in your immediate future. You can
send patient out for testing. You can lease
equipment periodically and schedule patients for a
return visit when it arrives. Patient education,
appropriate Web recommendations, and utilizing the
latest in contact lenses can be incorporated for
little or no cost to the new practitioner.
As a new O.D. it can enhance your daily practice in
this wonderful field!
Dr. Williams received her
Doctorate of Optometry degree from the Southern
College of Optometry in 2002. She practices at
Southwest Medical Center, a multi-disciplinary
medical practice in St. Louis, Mo. |
|
 |
When I started to
choose equipment for my practice, I tried to base my
decisions not only from my viewpoint, but also that
of the patient. I believed patients would come to my
practice with a certain level of expectation, and in
order to exceed my patients’ expectations, cutting
edge technology would be a necessity.
As Dr. Williams discusses, there is a multitude of
new technologies available within optometry. As a
result of the Internet, patients are more educated
than ever about the technologies available to them.
As practitioners, it’s important that we keep a
“cutting edge” mentality for our practices. To me,
nothing would be more embarrassing than to have a
patient disappointed with my practice’s definition
of “cutting edge technology”. Because of this, my
practice adds new equipment every year. Patients
appreciate this and often make comments like, “Doc,
what new toys do you have this year?” I like to
think that patients look forward to coming in every
year knowing that some part of their experience will
be even better than last year because of new
technology.
Set Yourself Apart
Cutting edge technology doesn’t have to cost you a
small fortune. Matter-of-fact, there are other ways
to maintain a streamlined, high tech office without
having to invest a bunch of money. For example, you
can consider silicone hydrogel contact lenses a new
technology that you can offer the patient with next
to no capital investment. As I mentioned, our
patients are more educated. As a result, it is
important to be aggressive and recommend these new
products to patients before they hear about new
developments from an advertisement or a neighbor.
New technologies are an excellent way to
differentiate yourself from your peers. The
likelihood of seeing patients return in a compliant
fashion are more likely if you have a
technologically savvy practice because the patients’
perception of you as their doctor is different than
that of a behind the times practice. Patients
perceive doctors to be more intelligent when there
are technologies to back up the doctor’s decision
making. As a result, patients are more likely to
follow a technologically savvy doctor’s
recommendations.
I challenge you to be the practitioner who is
aggressive to mention new technologies to your
patients rather than wait for patients to ask you
about new developments. If you make the investment
in your patients through cutting edge technologies,
your patients will continue to make an investment in
you year after year.
|
|
Starting Strategies
One of the simplest things that you can do to
effectively introduce new technology to your
patients is to have experience with the
instrument from the patient's perspective. When
you add new equipment to your practice, it is
very important that you are tested on the
equipment yourself so that you understand what
the patient is experiencing. For example, when
we instruct patients to look at the blinking
light inside of an instrument, is it colored, or
is it off to the side? All of these descriptions
will help to effectively communicate with the
patient on your practice's technologies. -
Dr.
Kelly Kerksick, OD
|
|
 |
|
