STAFF
Using Staff to Help Manage Your Contact Lens Practice
Delegating tasks to staff members keeps the practitioner's time available for discussion and education.

From technical expertise to answering the phones, the responsibilities of an eyecare practitioner's staff vary. How much a practitioner delegates is a matter of style and comfort level between doctor and staff. Each practice emphasizes different tasks as the most important.

Contact lens application and removal as well as developing relationships with patients are key responsibilities at optometrist Kirk Smick's Atlanta practice. Each practitioner has his own personal technician who performs the patient work-up. "One of the most important things my staff does is establish a relationship with patients that is closer than my own," says Dr. Smick. "Patients ask the staff, rather than myself, numerous questions, which saves me time. A patient will turn to a staff member because the patient has confidence in his relationship with the staff member," he says.

"No matter what technical skills an employee might have, he will not be a good fit if he does not show care and compassion for patients. No one has a job if patients do not come to your practice, so train your staff to make patients feel comfortable."

Answering the telephone is one of the most important jobs in the office. Train employees how to properly answer the phone to insure a good first impression. Explain how you want them to answer questions about contact lenses and how to handle phone shoppers. Consider offering a brief script as a training tool. Try role playing with a more experienced staffer or using manufacturer resources for support. Telephone triage from the front desk is the first contact the patient experiences with the practice, and it can either make or break the relationship. Consider providing employees with specific telephone scripts to address frequently asked questions.

Going hand-in-hand with telephone skills is third-party insurance knowledge. Identify one staff member as your liaison between the office and insurance companies. That person should also be dedicated to filing and tracking claims. Insurance questions often crop up during phone conversations. Staff must know what plans your office accepts and have a general idea of what benefits are covered under those plans.

Effective staff must also possess technical expertise in diagnostic and clinical testing and effectively collect data from patients. Paige Pantall, contact lens technician for Dr. Mint's office in Jacksonville, FL, says they have a former contact lens technician answering the phone, scheduling appointments and preparing charts. She can then effectively triage patients because of her experience with primary care as well as her contact lens background and training, which makes her invaluable to the practice. A qualified technician on staff who can man the phone works better than an employee who needs training and relies on a script when answering the phones.

Dr. Mint says this approach brings an interesting and invaluable flavor to the position because of this staff member's insight and knowledge. For instance, when a patient does not come in for an appointment, she knows whether contacting him can wait until she has more time or if she needs to get him on the phone right away.

Steve Lancaster, OD, in Jacksonville, FL, employs a contact lens technician who has learned his style of practice and philosophy. "Over the past six months, she has begun to think a lot like me. It makes my job easier having someone who knows my style of fitting and treatment," he says. This partnership helps the office run like a well-oiled machine. His technicians perform tasks such as visual field testing and retinal tomography, which frees up his time to spend with patients.

"Seven out of 10 patients leave your practice because of problems with the staff," says Jim Lanier, OD, in Jacksonville, FL. He believes proper staffing is critical to effective patient communication.

All your staff, no matter what their function, portray the flavor and the feel of you and your office. The staff should let patients know that they are there to help. No matter what technical skills an employee might have, he will not be a good fit if he does not show care and compassion for patients. No one has a job if patients do not come to your practice, so train your staff to do what is necessary to make patients feel comfortable, says Dr. Mint.

A big advocate of staff training and education, optometrist Karen Perry in Orlando, FL, believes a contact lens company that offers training and support is a step ahead of the game. A company that can educate her staff about why she fits a certain product or why she follows certain procedures in the office helps improve her quality of care. She tells manufacturers she's interested in companies who partner with her practice and help everyone in the office improve the quality of patient care.

Staff efficiency is important because in today's economy, every minute counts. Ordering contact lenses can take a significant amount of time and can encompass thousands of orders per year. Says Dr. Lanier: "One of the most important jobs my staff performs is managing contact lens inventory and ordering products as well as maintaining superior patient care levels."