Chances are your practice doors were closed a few extra days the last few weeks during the holiday season. Coming off from a break can make it hard to get back into the the swing of things. But the start of a new year can be a big motivator for many people to set goals and put plans in place for reaching those goals this year.

To get your eyecare practice off in full speed we've pulled five tips for getting your practice back in the swing of things in different areas of your workflow. Whether your big practice goals lie in your dispensary, exam room, or billing department we have a few ideas to get your practice in motion.

5 Steps for Getting Your Eyecare Practice Back in Motion

In Your Waiting Room: Walk in Your Front Door

Many ODs and staff members will enter their practice through a back or side door instead of walking in the front. When was the last time you stepped into your practice through the same doors that your patients do? If it has been a while, this could be a great place to start to give your practice a face lift in 2016. Creating an appealing and comfortable practice and waiting room won't happen if you don't take the time to recognize and initiate improvements.

In Your Dispensary: Streamline Orders and Establish Value

You could be losing customers to online retailers for a variety of reasons. Two of those reasons could be an easier purchasing process, or patients not recognizing the value in purchasing frames from your practice. 

Streamline your orders by using an online ordering solution so that you can get jobs back from the lab faster, and with fewer errors. Once you have that down, look for new ways to establish value and credibility with your patients. Make everyone aware of the benefits they receive from purchasing frames with proper measurements from the optician in your dispensary. Many people might not realize what goes in to fitting the perfect pair of frames, so make sure you're walking patients through the steps.

At the Front Desk: Utilize Technology to Decrease Mundane Tasks

There is technology out there today that can help your staff do just about anything. Whether it's managing the schedule to sending patient reminders to reducing data entry - there is something out there to help you. The right practice management and EHR software will come with the tools that your front desk team needs to make your practice run more efficient, and to speed up or automate some of the more mundane tasks they spend their time doing. 

During the Exam: Get Patients more Involved

A healthcare trend you expect to see stick around in 2016 is patients looking to play a more active role in their own care. Encouraging patient engagement throughout your practice is a great way to help get your patients more involved. But first you need to make sure that you have the technology, like a patient portal, available in your practice that allows your patients to be as engaged as possible. Once you have that in place, your entire team can teach and encourage patients how to get the most out of their experience with your practice.

In Your Billing Department: Ditch the Bad Habits

Bad habits in your billing department can be costing your practice lots of money. If you haven't sat down and evaluated your billing process you might not be aware of the habits causing the inefficiencies in your workflow. Download this eBook to ditch these bad claim filing habits once and for all.