How to Use Mobile Technology for Success in your Eye Care Practice

Mobile technology is not just a trend. It’s transforming the way we work, live, and play. And this revolution has come to eye care practices as well. Eye doctors are now using mobile technology in their practice to save time, increase efficiency, reduce costs and provide better service for patients.

In this blog post, you will learn about mobile technologies that can help your business.

The many ways you can use technology

Mobile technology is one of the fastest-growing industries in the twenty-first century. Mobile eye care software allows eye care experts to have mobile access to all their patients’ records, appointment scheduling, and consultations with clients. There are many mobile apps that allow eye care specialists to communicate with their patients and set up appointments automatically. These mobile apps also store a history of the patient’s progress which can be used for medical evaluation as well. This mobile eye care software is perfect for eye doctors who want to increase efficiency and minimize costs while meeting their professional needs.

For patients, there are now apps that will assess their eyeglass needs, detect and report symptoms of eye disease, store prescription details, and help them virtually try on eyeglass frames.

The benefits of using mobile technology in your eye care practice

Immediate access to all the past records and medical history of patients is a huge benefit to mobile technology for eye care professionals. Eye care software also helps eye doctors save time by making it so that they don’t have to spend as much time on the phone doing appointment scheduling and communication. Using mobile eye care software also minimizes the cost for services because mobile apps tend to be cheaper than working off a computer system or over the phone. Lastly, mobile eye care software saves energy and saves your practice money on utilities because mobile apps require less maintenance than a computer or the eye doctors’ mobile phone.

How you can integrate mobile technology into your business, including an app that helps improve patient satisfaction and retention

Mobile payments are convenient for both patients and doctors by eliminating the need for cash transactions and allowing for quick access to payments without the need for cards, pens, and paper. Integrating mobile apps, such as Stripe, can make business much more efficient.

Communication tools, such as Microsoft Teams, are useful to allow eye care doctors to communicate and work remotely with their patients and coworkers and share information, pictures, and audio files via video, email, and much more. Microsoft Teams is a platform that enables HIPAA-compliant communication, collaboration, and work efficiency.

Scheduling mobile appointments is also easier for both parties with scheduling software, like mobile apps from Skedulo or AdvancedMD. Eye care practices can use mobile technology to set and confirm appointments between the eye doctor, staff, and the patient as well.  

Lastly, mobile eye care software allows eye doctors to report their practice data to regulatory bodies and insurance companies easier too! This helps ensure that an eye doctor’s business is operating in a more professional manner.

A mobile-friendly website is one of the tools you need in order to be successful with mobile technology. This site can have a “Find Us” mobile option that includes directions from the mobile phone as well as mobile text messaging to either you or the staff. You can also make a mobile online appointment form for your website that not only saves time but helps reduce the number of no-shows because patients can fill it out on their mobile devices in their downtime.

Start integrating mobile technology into your business today without breaking the bank

It’s best to start slow when integrating mobile technology. This will help you get a feel for mobile devices and their uses while sticking to your mobile technology budget. Let us recommend at least 3 mobile technology tools that won’t break the bank:

First – go mobile with your social media. You can do this easily by downloading apps on your mobile device that integrate with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other social apps. Facebook, for example, has mobile apps that make it very easy to do the following:

Mobile check-ins – Ask your patients to check in when they arrive at your practice using a mobile device. This can be very useful later for marketing (e.g., mobile ads) or just to give your patients some cool points when they check in.

Mobile reviews – Reviews are very powerful, so it’s important that mobile technology helps you collect them whenever possible. By using an app or text to request reviews as soon as patients leave, you’re more likely to have a higher percentage of completion.

Asking mobile patients to review you while they’re still mobile (i.e., in your parking lot) is also a great way to get feedback on anything that might have been forgotten while the patient was there, and/or encourage mobile patients that didn’t leave a review as soon as they left.

ZEISS apps that will help to improve your vision practice mobile.

VISUCONSULT 500

The ZEISS VISUCONSULT 500 mobile app is a platform with an interface to ZEISS devices and instruments. It improves the eye examination through mobile consultations and the simplification of workflows. The ZEISS VISUCONSULT 500 works with a ZEISS server. If you don’t work with a ZEISS server you can download the ZEISS VISUCONSULT 100 app instead.

ZEISS Vision Screening

Online Vision Screening

Visual Acuity

In this free online screening, we simulate the testing of visual performance on the screen. This is not intended as a replacement for the tests conducted by an eye doctor. However, users do receive an initial impression of the quality of their vision.

Contrast Vision

Checking contrast vision is important to identify any changes that have occurred to vision. Changes in contrast sensitivity may, for example, be an indication of glaucoma.

Part of the online screening check simulates contrast vision. The test may provide users with an initial indication that their contrast vision is not as good as it could be.

Color Vision

The ZEISS Vision screening also checks color vision with color charts.

Pre Visit Prep App

Pre Visit Prep App

The ZEISS Pre Visit Prep App , available for mobile devices and on the web, is an essential tool that helps patients prepare for their eye exam.

If you would like more information about these apps and other ZEISS technologies, please contact your ZEISS Business Development Representative.

Why Dr. Chatwani Offers the ZEISS Experience to Her Patients

In January 2019, Dr. Chatwani opened her brand new location for Tri-City Optometry in Fremont, CA after working in her original location for over 13 years.  Her new practice reflects her modern vision of serving patients in Silicon Valley with an innovative, technology-driven practice and an exclusive partnership with ZEISS.

“I wanted to offer the latest technology, and chose a partner that also wanted the best for me as an independent practice, so I chose ZEISS.  ZEISS has over 170 years of expertise in precision optics. My patients are getting the best lenses and technology available and with ZEISS equipment, and I know they’ll get a full ‘ZEISS Experience’ from the start of their exam through to the selection of their lenses and eyeglasses.”

Built with the end-to-end patient experience in mind, the new office offers an inviting and distinctive space. Most notably, there is no reception desk. Instead, you find a welcoming “Community Table” where patients are greeted by a Tri-City Optometry team member, complete with iPad-based check-in.

“We wanted to design the office with best possible experience for a patient. Every patient is greeted eye-to-eye and with a smile when they enter the practice. By design, we don’t have a formal reception desk. As a result, phone calls are never answered in the optical and paperwork is completely out of sight. The staff is trained to keep 100% of their focus on every patient that walks through the door.”

The well thought out patient experience continues down to the staff uniforms of matching scrubs, music in the optical, scent branding, and name tags with a modern design which adds a level of trust and professionalism. The attention to design detail continues with consideration of the flow of the patient journey through the office.

The sensory experience continues with bright white frame boards and specialized retail lighting,  with a carefully chosen frame selection that offers an inviting shopping experience, allowing patients to want to stay and browse at ease. In addition to the inviting optical space there is a high-tech ZEISS equipped pre-test room, a room for vision therapy and an esthetician room for personalized patient services such as threading and brow waxing. Dr. Chatwani shares,

“We thought patients would appreciate the extra services related to the eyes and it again adds another convenience for them to get it done all in one place.”

Tri-City Optometry has grown organically over the years, which has relied heavily on word of mouth and recommendations from happy patients to family and friends.

“I’ve always had a passion for this industry and truly want to help every patient see better so they can live their best lives. I think people remain loyal when they know they are getting specialized care and that the doctors and staff really do care about the people they are serving.”

Tri-City Optometry also uses social media with a more organic approach to help them market the practice and their services.

“Being active on social media has allowed us increased communication to current patients while reaching new ones. This lends itself to building lasting relationships and an ongoing community around our practice.”

In addition to working in the office, Dr. Chatwani has served as an eye doctor to the Oakland Athletics and enjoys seeing the players at the office, attending Spring Training, as well having a further reach with the local community.

For more information about Tri-City Optometry, visit www.tricityeyes.com, and to learn more about ZEISS go to www.zeiss.com/lenses.