In this industry, things are constantly changing. And as an OD, business owner, or both it's critical that you're able to keep up with the changes and take the necessary steps to implement new trends and processes into your practice. If you aren't keeping up with the latest in the industry and your competitors are, your practice will start to fall behind and patients will notice. Keeping up with the changes as they come is a lot easier than doing a complete overhaul ten years down the road when you suddenly realize what you haven't been keeping up with.
In our eBook, 12 Insider Secrets from America's Top ODs, we interviewed Dr. Kim Castleberry of Plano Eye Associates to learn how he has managed changes in the eyecare industry at his own practice.
Dr. Kim Castleberry on Managing Changes in The Eyecare Industry.jpg?width=304&name=iStock-639087598%20(1).jpg "eyecare industry changes")
If you could change one thing in the industry what would it be?
For me, I'm someone who bores easily and thrives on change. And while the only constant in my 35 years of practice has been change, the information technology systems haven't kept pace with the change in our industry, and we lag far behind other industries. For example, I can easily order an iPhone and get notification tracking from the moment I order until it hits my front door, yet my patients can't get notifications of their eyeglasses in the lengthy lab process.
That being said, the scope of practice and technology advances have been nothing short of stunning, bringing us to what I think is the golden age of practice for optometrists.
How do you prepare your practice for the future?
Doing what I can to stay ahead of lagging changes by implementing an IT platform that is up to date with patient communications, notifications, government compliance, and most importantly practice-virtualization - delivering care electronically online.
To read more tips from our eBook, 12 Insider Secrets, download a free copy today.
