New This Week
Engage Staff in Tracking Practice Performance
Aaron Lech, OD, FAAO, of ClearVue Eye Care in Roseville, Calif., has his staff members track specific performance numbers—then discuss how each metric affects practice profitability as a whole. >>READ MORE>>
Optical Dispensary
Holiday Optical Extravaganza: Generate Excitement & Sales
By Thuy-Lan Nguyen, OD
Create a “frames extravaganza” to generate excitement–and sales—in your optical. Tie the event to holidays and seasons for best results. >>READ MORE>>
Staff Management
Associate’s Departure: Plan Well, Continue Thriving
By Gina Wesley, OD MS, FAAO
The loss of an associate can be disruptive. Plan ahead to avert a practice crisis.
>>READ MORE>>
Diagnostic Instrumentation
VEP: Instrumentation to Enhance Your Medical Eyecare Services
By Michael J. Lyons, OD, FAAO A VEP (visual evoked potential) instrument provides quick, objective data that enhances your glaucoma and macular degeneration services. >>READ MORE>>
2014 was a banner year for Review of Optometric Business, with in-depth articles ranging from marketing and digital strategy to finance, medical eyecare, staff management and beyond. Here is a selection by ROB’s editors of the best from the past year.
Most Viewed Videos
In 2014, ROB featured videos providing insight from fellow optometrists on subjects ranging from staff management, to enhancement of the medical model, contact lens patient education, marketing and beyond. Here are the most-viewed videos of the past year. >>READ MORE>>
Best Read Articles
ROB presented articles on topics such as frame board management, finances, utilizing practice metrics, along with special reports on managed care and contact lens profitability. Here are our best-read articles from 2014.
Best Blogs
ROB bloggers shared their opinions on optometric hot button issues like unilateral pricing, vying with competitors such as online retailers and whether ODs are keeping the best interests of their patients in mind. Here are three stand-out blogs from 2014. >>READ MORE>>
Best Reach for Excellence
ROB’s Reach for Excellence column in 2014 addressed topics such as how much ODs are earning, which geographic region is most profitable for ODs to practice in and if there is a gender pay gap.
>>READ MORE>>
ROB Fast Fact
How Many Hours a Day Do Your Patients Use Digital Devices?
Protection against eye strain is a significant need in the US, findings from the 2014 Vision Council VisionWatch Digital Eye Strain Report suggest. About a third of respondents use digital devices, such as computers, tablets, smartphones and video game consoles two to five hours per day, followed closely by those who use devices for six to nine hours per day. In total, 63.5 percent of the adult population in the US uses digital devices between two and nine hours daily.
Click HERE to read more from Review of Optometric Business professional editors Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, and Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, on how to get more sales from existing patients.
In Brief
Local Eye Site to Host Online Eyecare Career Fair
Local Eye Site, a provider of job search and online recruitment services for the eyecare industry, will host an online career fair for eyecare professionals, Local Eye Site LIVE!, in February. The event is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, and will include two sessions to accommodate East Coast and West Coast time zones.
IDOC Launches New Program: IDOC Select
Beginning January 1, 2015, IDOC will offer a new membership choice to independent ODs. IDOC Select is a one-stop solution specifically designed to help independent ODs grow their practices. It combines a discount and rebate program with practice-tracking software and IDOC consulting services that outline strategies for growth and increased profitability. The result, says IDOC, is “a value-packed offering for eyecare practitioners who want to realize their full revenue potential.” <<READ MORE>>
Challenge –> Solution
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Practice Challenge…
How do I promote my products and services?Publicizing the vision and medical eyecare and products you provide is essential to practice success. Here is how three ROB contributors let their community members know what their practice has to offer.
…Practice Solution
- Health Fair = Healthy Business
- Billboards: Promote Your Practice Identity to Your Community
- The Making of a Successful Promotional Campaign
Recent Articles of Note
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Getting There: Planning a Successful Optometric Career
By Robert Schultz -
Be Positive, and Always Thank Your Patient
An Optometric Minute video with Eric M. White, OD -
Capture Rate Booster: Train Staff to Fill Patient Prescriptions
By Stuart J. Thomas, OD, and Ellen Byrum-Goad, LDO
