There are many ways your practice can increase efficiency within your workflow. We recently focused on improving the flow in your front office, but did you know that utilizing your technician in new ways can save your OD valuable time? From helping review patient information to conducting pre-tests, there are several ways that your tech can help out around the office, and take some stress away from your OD, leaving them with the ability to focus on the actual exam and treatment process. 

3 Ways Your Technician Can Help Improve Office Workflow

1. Review Patient Information

We've discussed how helpful patient portals are in helping speed up your front office workflow, but did you know that the patient portal can help in the pre-exam lane as well? Patients can submit medical history, medication, and allergies conveniently through their patient portals allowing your technician to quickly review information and transfer it into your EHR software. This is also a great chance for the technician to list the main complaints or concerns the patient has for their exam. By having the tech utilize the patient portal in the pre-exam lane, they could be saving the OD anywhere from 5-10 minutes!

2. Assist Patients

Another huge time saver for the OD is for your technician to assist patients with any questions or concerns they might have before the exam. Your tech can assist patients in two main ways before the exam. First, your tech can easily answer any questions the patient might have about their paperwork or standard procedures. This helps make sure that the patient is prepared to make the actual exam process a success. Secondly, your tech can listen to the chief concern the patient has for the exam. This is helpful because your technician can take the often lengthy explanation that the patient gives, and shorten in when relaying it to the doctor.

3. Conduct Pre-Tests

Sync your pre-testing equipment to your EHR software so that the doctor has easy access to all of the information from the pre-exam. Your technician can take on their usual responsibilities of color vision testing, visual acuities, auto refraction, and auto visual field screening, but there are 9 other responsibilities your tech can help out with in the exam:

• Patient History
• Lensometry
• Visual Acuities
• Ocular Motility
• Cover Testing
• Confrontatio Fields
• Color Vision Testing
• Stereopsis Testing
• Amsler's Grid Testing

Based on the individual needs of each patient and your practice, the tech can take on any number of these responsibilities in addition to the pre-test tasks they already take care of. By sharing some of the workload, your practice will be able to move through a higher number of patients in a smaller amount of time.

The technician is already so helpful in the appointment process, so we think it is best to fully utilize them to the best of their abilities. Not only will it help improve your workflow, but your OD will be thankful to have the time to really focus on the exam portion and provide better care to your patients. With your tech helping out around the office so much, they just might become your OD’s new BFF!

Looking for more ways to optimize your practice workflow? Download the free eBook now!