VisionWeb's I.O. View [SPONSORED]: Practice Makes Perfect With Your Optometry Software

Taking on new optometry office software in your practice is a big task. Luckily most software vendors offer training programs to get everybody up to speed! However, you'd be surprised at how often practices neglect training because they are too busy. There's always a patient with a question, a job to process urgently, or something to follow up on, but it's important to stay dedicated to training to make sure that everybody feels comfortable and confident with the new tool before you debut it with patients in the office. Here are a few tips that will make training more successful, more realistic, and also much more enjoyable.

1. Practice Together
Sam comes in for an appointment, and she is greeted by Tim who checks her in. Marie goes through the questionnaires, runs screening tests and instrument readings, and enters the visual acuities before the doctor takes over the exam. Once the doctor finishes the exam, the Rx and exam charges are given to Max in optical to set up the lab order, prepare the invoice, and generate the claim. The workflow begins with Tim at the front desk and everything ran smoothly because he entered all the patient information needed. Now, imagine the bottleneck if Tim didn't set up the insurance coverage for Sam's appointment!  

The point is that when it comes to patient visits, everyone on the team should do their part. It's a group effort to keep the ship running smoothly and efficiently. So if you practice by yourself, you're practicing for a scenario that doesn't exist. It's best to get your colleagues together and practice in the same way they would with a real patient visit. Try to make it as close to your usual workflow as possible.

2. Practice the Hand-Off
An important thing to watch out for is how the hand-off works. What information does Tim at the front desk need to put into the patient record so that everyone else who works with this patient has what they need at their fingertips? Insurance at the very least, but there might be other things too. What information does the doctor need to transfer to the optician, the biller? The hand-off is the thing that most often falls through the cracks of solid optometry software training.

3. Use Real Patient Charts
What's the most realistic example of a patient visit? Well, a real patient visit of course! Grab some charts that you did the day before, replace the real patient demographics with fake information and use the patient's chart as an example while you practice as if that patient was in the office right now.

4. Hold Weekly Staff Meetings
Weekly staff meetings are the best approach for getting everybody to practice together. Getting together at a certain time each week will help everyone plan their own training ahead of time. It will also help with making sure that everyone is on the same page, has the same expectations for go live, and has their concerns addressed as early as possible. A weekly staff meeting is an excellent forum to take 2-3 charts together and enter them into the new software as if they were here. Remember to replace the demographics with something fake, but other than that, use what is in the chart as a realistic example.

5. Ask Questions
We can't stress this enough! Make sure you ask your questions so the vendor can get you answers. Use all the resources available, such as help menus, live Q&A sessions, and online tutorials. Don't be shy!

6. Be Flexible With Your Processes
Every office has a different way of getting things done. One of the tricky things with new EHR implementation is that the old ways may not fit the new tool. New tools come with new features, layouts, and capabilities. It will have features you've never had before and not only that, but they'll be mandatory to use because of Meaningful Use. Make sure that you keep an open mind for the possibility of having to change some of your existing processes to fit the new tool. This often makes people feel a bit apprehensive, but don't worry, this is actually a good thing: it's a chance to make your processes fit the efficiency of the new tool—and efficiency is good, right?

Practice makes perfect. And it's even better when everybody practices together. When you practice together, you'll be able to spot any gaps in the process pretty quickly and together you can find solutions to those potential bottlenecks. Brainstorm to find a solution and be open to everyone's ideas. In the end, you'll find that not only have you mastered the new software, but you've also made sure you have everything ready to go for ensuring your patients get the best care that they can.

This piece was contributed by the Uprise blog. Uprise is a cloud-based practice management and EHR solution by VisionWeb. View the original post here: Practice Makes Perfect: Optometry Office Software Training