The eye care industry is changing rapidly. New technology has emerged that can either enhance your optometric practice or end it. With all the changes threatening the future of eye care, your practice needs to embrace change to survive.

As consumers, we crave the next thing to be better, faster, and cheaper than before. Inventers, risk-takers, and entrepreneurs are developing ways to challenge and disrupt the way the population receives care. As these advancements catch on, ODs have to be prepared to understand how the changes influence your practice and how you can leverage the technology to enhance patient care throughout your office workflow.

Below are a few tips on how you can adapt to industry changes.

Tips For Evolving With Eye Care Industry Trends

Keep a Pulse on the Industry

The internet has given the world instant access to quality information from reputable sites. While trade magazines still exist and thrive in the eye care industry, it’s also important to keep a pulse on industry news and changes online.

Here are a few ways you can keep track of all the changes in the industry:

• Set up Google Alerts
• Create a Feedly account
• Listen to podcasts
• Attend industry tradeshows

Separate Hype from Innovation

Often, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. However, that doesn’t mean you should dismiss disruptions completely. As new advancements emerge, try to fully understand the value the product will have on the industry, your patients, and your practice.

When separating hype from innovation, ask:

• Does the solution solve an actual problem?
• Does it solve it in a way that hasn’t been tried before?
• Is it reasonably priced?
• Is it convenient to use?
• Is it targeted at the right audience?

Answering yes to these questions could indicate that the technology is innovative enough to be a game changer. However, anything could happen, and the product could flop, so it’s always hard to separate hype from innovation.

Bottom line, to withstand the evolving eye care industry, you need to be informed, skeptical, and willing to adapt. Subscribing to the blog is a great place to start to stay updated on the latest industry news.