October 2024

Fourth Quarter Adjustments

Board members (l-r): Lisa Hamilton, OD; Richard Hults, OD; Milissa Stone; and Ken Kopolow, OD

By the SNAPP Board

Games are won or lost in the fourth quarter. A team can play extraordinarily well for three quarters of a football game, for example, only to watch it all fall apart at the end. Or a team that’s been struggling suddenly exploits an opportunity for a turnaround win.

As we enter the fourth quarter of 2024, we can hope that you’ve had a year of good performance so far—and that you have a game plan for the fourth quarter. Are you assessing your metrics throughout the year? Are there adjustments to make now that will help you finish the year strong?

Don’t wait until December 27 to throw a Hail Mary pass. Ordinarily, that’s too little, too late. Small adjustments on every play of the game are going to position you for a stronger finish. One of the goals of the SNAPP Insider newsletter each month is to share ideas that other SNAPP members are using in their businesses to improve the patient experience and profitability. We hope you can use some of these in your planning for the win.

Utilizing Technology

Teleoptometry Offers Some Relief to Schedule

(l-r): Ben Ribble and Dr. Feezor-Ribble

There’s a new option for patients coming to the Jacksonville, Illinois Pearle practice of Lori Feezor-Ribble, OD. They have a choice of having an in-office exam with a remote optometrist. Ben Ribble, Dr. Ribble’s husband and practice manager, says the two added the option last December, using 20/20NOW, to enable the practice to see a few more patients and allow Dr. Feezor-Ribble predictable time off.

The one-doctor practice was booked out more than two months ahead of time, so the couple started to look around for ways to relieve the pressure. Using the 20/20NOW platform, patients come into the office and a licensed optometrist in a remote location conducts the exam. The doctor has access to the patient’s medical history and all the pretesting data that the technicians would normally provide the on-site doctor. The remote doctor interacts with the patient in real time and can engage with the patient either through remote control of equipment or with the assistance of an on-site technician.

“We were seeing patients five days a week, and we were using this service initially as a fill-in. Now we’re seeing seven to nine patients a day this way,” Ben Ribble says. Patients are given the option of how their exam will be conducted. “We ask if they have a preference to see Dr. Feezor-Ribble or have an in-office exam with a remote OD.” Some patients prefer the remote exam because it may mean that they can be seen more quickly. “It’s a supplement to the care we are offering. Patients who want to see the doctor can certainly do that, but a number of patients are curious about the teleoptometry option. Because it’s happening in our office with our technicians right there, they tell us that they feel they’re getting attentive quality care,” he says.

And if any findings during the remote exam require a follow-up with the doctor, that can be scheduled before the patient leaves. Either way, patients are assured that they are receiving a full “wellness exam.” Ben Ribble says that staff members have switched to using that terminology rather than “comprehensive exam” because patients do not know what a “comprehensive exam” consists of. “The verbiage of wellness exam works because patients have a better sense that the purpose of the exam is to make sure that their eyes and visual system are healthy.”

SNAPP Meeting Photo Gallery

 

Thank You to All Who Joined Us in Las Vegas!

Here's just a snippet of the education and fun that was enjoyed this year for our meeting.

HR Advice From AmCheck

The Interview Process: Part 2

Last month, we looked at ways to avoid making a bad hire. You can read that here.

This month, we look at the elements for a great interview.

As with the job posting, the interview process is an opportunity to build excitement for the role, but also to eliminate candidates who looked qualified on paper but don’t truly possess the capabilities to do the job to your satisfaction.

Challenge candidates to convince you that they would be successful in the role. Ask them how they used relevant knowledge and skills in the past and what the outcome was. What did their successes look like? What about their failures? If their answers are vague or elusive, ask for specifics. You don’t need to be confrontational, but you should be direct. Remember, you’re collecting information you’ll use to assess their fitness for the role and compare them to other candidates. Details matter, so take good notes.

When explaining the work the candidate would do or answering questions they have, be upfront about the challenges that come with the job. Don’t downplay the downsides to the point of deception. The person you hire will not appreciate being misled about the position, and if hired they’d likely be more engaged in finding another job than doing the one you hired them to do.

If you have a team of interviewers, talk with them as a group before beginning interviews so they know what you are looking for in a successful candidate, what to prioritize, and where each should focus their questions. After the interviews are complete, meet again as a group to go over everyone’s notes and share feedback about each candidate. Encourage open communication and honest opinions, especially with respect to concerns about skills and abilities. Keep an eye out for discrepancies. This is the time to question everyone’s impressions of each candidate, not go with the flow.

Compliance Update

A Look at the FTC Eyeglass Rule

By Practice Compliance Solutions

This is an excerpt of an article published by Practice Compliance Solutions. Read the full article here.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued updates to the longstanding eyeglass rule. The main change is that providers are now required to obtain signed confirmation from the patient that they did receive a copy of their glasses prescription. This new requirement closely mirrors the documentation requirements related to the contact lens prescription rules implemented in 2020.

The requirement is fairly clear—“prescribers, after providing the prescription, request that their patients sign a statement confirming they received their prescription and keep a record of such confirmation for at least three years.” Presentation of proof of insurance coverage shall be deemed to be payment for the purpose of determining when the prescription must be provided.

Confusion regarding documentation

Let’s clarify any confusion around how to document the receipt of the prescription.

• The amendment states that the patient must receive a copy of the prescription at the completion of the examination, without request, and before making any attempt to sell the patient glasses. This is totally in line with the original Rule and has not changed anything.

• The amendment confirms that you may provide the prescription either in person or by digital means (email, text, online portal).

• If you manually provide the prescription to the patient at the end of the examination, you must obtain a signed document confirming delivery.

• If you suggest and the patient agrees to digital delivery of the prescription, you still must obtain a signed document confirming the patient agreed to this method of prescription delivery.

A few FAQs

Does simply providing the prescription document compliance with the law?
No. You are already required to provide the prescription at the end of any examination that includes a refraction that resulted in a prescription. Documentation from the patient that they received the prescription is a different issue.

If the patient agrees, when do I have to provide them with digital access to their prescription?
“If you are providing the prescription digitally, you must deliver the prescription immediately after the eye exam and before offering to sell the patient eyeglasses”. PCS believes this simply means that digital access to the prescription must be available immediately upon completion of the examination—immediately available to them in their patient portal or already on the way to them by text or email. So get those records completed before you leave the exam room! Also, make sure any digital means of provision are HIPAA compliant (encrypted).

When do I have to obtain documentation that the patient received their prescription?
At the completion of the examination and before you offer to sell the patient glasses. The Rule specifically states you may not have the patient sign pre-appointment paperwork confirming they will receive a copy of their prescription.

I want to provide prescriptions digitally—can the patient refuse this option?
Yes. The patient has the choice of receiving a hard copy of the prescription at the end of the examination or having access to the prescription by digital means.

Can I ever charge a patient for a copy of their ophthalmic prescription?
No.

Does the new amendment require the inclusion of the patient’s PD on the prescription?
It does not. A word of caution, the FTC states, “The prescription should be legible and complete. In addition, some states require you to include the patient’s pupillary distance in their prescription. If your patient wants to buy glasses online, they will need that measurement. If you take a patient’s pupillary distance measurement, we encourage you to provide it to your patient.”

News of Interest

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

The National Eye Institute offers a variety of infographics to use during Diabetes Awareness Month. Check them out here.

Glaucoma More Prevalent Than Previously Estimated

A new study titled “Prevalence of Glaucoma Among U.S. Adults in 2022” and published in JAMA Ophthalmology has found among those aged 40 and older, 2.56 percent have glaucoma and 0.91 percent have vision-affecting glaucoma. Previous estimates of glaucoma prevalence published in 2016 were 2.1 percent of adults aged 40 years and older and did not include estimates for those under 40 years old or estimates of vision-affecting glaucoma. See the Vision Monday summary here.

National Academies Publishes Myopia Report

If current trends in myopia continue, there will be 5 billion near-sighted individuals globally by 2050. Eye care professionals, federal agencies and funding agencies need to make improvements to standardize care, increase funding to study treatments, encourage outdoor time and facilitate the standardization of assessments and diagnostics. These points are covered in a new publication from the National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine, which can be read online here.


Photo credits—Getty images: 4th quarter: Dzmitry Dzemidovich; teleoptometry: lunar_cat; spotlight gallery: bankrx; prescription: stevecoleimages; glaucoma: ; myopia: izusek || National Eye Institute: diabetes month image

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