Eyeworld

76 | EYEWORLD | SEPTEMBER 2023 P RACTICE MANAGEMENT by William Rabourn Jr. About the author William Rabourn Jr. Managing Principal Medical Consulting Group Springfield, Missouri they have a better understanding of what's hap- pening, they will be more likely to comply with after-care instructions. For past patients or those that need a check- up, CRMs can send automated messages en- couraging them to schedule an appointment or advertise services such as LASIK, refractive lens replacement, or cataract surgery. CRMs can also help manage and track referrals, which means it can help acquire and market to potential new patients using the same outreach tools. Because CRMs centralize patient data, phy- sician owners can also take advantage of anoth- er powerful tool—custom reporting. Reporting can provide a detailed view of every operational aspect of the practice as well as key perfor- mance indicators, so management knows where to adjust and take advantage of opportunities. There are many different CRM options to choose from. Be sure to pick the one that best meets your needs. Also, be sure the CRM chosen is HIPAA compliant and can effectively transfer data from any system that may be currently in use. CRMs are a tool meant to increase effi- ciency, save time, and better communicate with patients so that you and your staff can be more focused on addressing their needs in person when they visit. Don't forget the staff Just as important as external and patient com- munication, staff engagement plays a key role in the success of any practice. It's easy for staff to become disconnected if there is little two-way Can talking, texting, and emailing really boost your bottom line? continued on page 78 O wning and operating a medical prac- tice is challenging. In addition to patient care, physician owners must wear many hats for their business to operate effectively. The daily routine of juggling priorities can sometimes be all-con- suming, and as a result, opportunities to grow your business may get overlooked. One of the most frequently missed opportu- nities for growth lies with patient and employee engagement. This is more than a nice sentiment or trendy catch phrase. Effective communication with employees can help maximize operation- al efficiencies and save the practice money. Likewise, effective engagement before, during, and after visits can positively affect the overall patient experience and perception of your prac- tice, leading to more referrals and an increase in business. In short, positive engagement results in a boost to your bottom line. So, how can practices take advantage of this often-missed opportunity? One way to improve engagement is to invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software. This is not a replacement for face-to-face interaction, but rather a tool to supplement and manage it better. CRMs central- ize patient data and can carry out automated tasks that can free up staff time to be allocated to more important activities. For example, CRMs can send automatic appointment reminders to patients via phone, email, or text so that staff doesn't have to manually call each patient. It can also streamline the check-in process, especially for new patients, by sending links to fillable online forms that are identical to the hard copy ones used in your office. This will al- low you to gather the necessary medical history and insurance information before they arrive for their appointment or to collect any other neces- sary information. Another advantage of using CRM software is that it can electronically send past and pres- ent patients marketing and educational materi- als. For current patients this may mean sending out an information sheet or link to an online video explaining a procedure they are about to receive. This is helpful because it means pa- tients will be more relaxed before arriving at the clinic and will have fewer questions. Because Source: iStock.com/simpson33

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