When focusing on an efficient practice, you probably look to motivate employees and have them be hard-workers, but what does the co-founder of Microsoft have to say about it?

"I choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it." - Bill Gates

Now obviously, you don't want a practice full of unmotivated people who half-way do their jobs, but this quote holds some truth to it. Finding the easy way to do something not only saves you time, but it saves your patients time as well and helps you offer more efficient care. If you aren't looking for the most efficient way to handle things in your practice, then you aren't working smart and should look to improve. 

So does your practice work smart? Keep reading to fnd out.

Ways Your Practice Isn't Using Optical Software to Work Smart 

You Have Patients Fill Out Pre-Appointment Paperwork in Your Office

If patients can't fill out their pre-appointment paperwork before coming in for their appointment, you're causing them to spend extra time in your waiting room. Plus, once they fill out those paper copies, you have to manually enter them into your electronic system. Save everyone time by having patients complete paperwork online before their appointments; or at the very least, provide tablets or computers where they can enter information when they arrive for their appointment, so it feeds directly into your optometry software.

Your Front Desk Spends the Majority of Their Day on the Phone with Patients

Time spent on the phone for patient recall and reminders is time wasted. Phone calls keep your front desk distracted from offering the great customer service they are capable of to the patients that are physically in your office. Invest in an automated recall system to keep your front desk from having to individually contact each patient over the phone. With the extra free time, your staff can help out with other tasks throughout the office which will result in better care for your patients.

You Aren't Placing Product Orders Online

If you still call your labs to place orders, or even worse, fax them in, you're hurting your practice in a huge way. You should be able to access all of your labs online, from one website to place all of your orders. Not only is online ordering a faster method, but it will provide automatic-error checking so you place orders correctly the first time. You'll also be able to track orders so you can give patients a better estimate of when their frames or contacts will arrive. 

You Don't Monitor Important Industry Benchmarks

Keeping up with the numbers might not be the most glamorous part of running an eyecare practice, but it is one of the most important. Knowing the hard facts behind your practice efficiency shows you specifically which areas are hurting and could use some attention. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to benchmarks!

You're Avoiding Technology Like It's the Plague

You can't hide from technology forever, and you shouldn't be. Using technology in your practice can make your life so much easier. The use of technology can help in all areas of your practice, from entertaining patients in your waiting room, to helping you move seamlessly through an exam. Tablets serve as a great way to share information with patients as you share a screen that shows them important information about their health. Technology is becoming an expected thing by many patients, so if you've been avoiding it, you should reconsider.

You Don't Cross Train Your Employees

How does your practice handle things when someone is out sick, or on vacation? If things slow down drastically when someone is out of the office, you should consider cross training different members of your staff. By having your staff be knowledgeable in multiple areas, they can cover duties for one another when someone is out. This will help your workflow continue on as normal.

You Don't Ask for Patient Feedback

Sometimes an outsider looking in can spot inefficiencies that go unnoticied by you and your staff. Patient surveys are a great way to receive feedback on the areas your practice can improve in, and which areas are doing just fine. That way you don't spend time trying to fix something that isn't broke!

What's the verdict? Is your practice working smart or have you discovered some areas for improvement?

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