Eyeworld Daily News

EW SHOW DAILY 26 Monday, April 20, 2015 medical records work for your prac- tice. There are a number of factors that make these electronic records and a patient portal beneficial to the practice, she said, including cost savings, enhancing the patient expe- rience and engagement, and leverag- ing marketing opportunities. There is cost savings by not hav- ing to print and saving staff time, she said. Additionally, electronic records increase access and conve- nience for patients and also elimi- nate the loss of any printed infor- mation they may receive. There are many marketing opportunities, like being able to forward educational information to family members and keeping the doctor or practice name right in front of patients at all times. Having a patient portal can help achieve the meaningful use quota and make it a better experience for the patient, Ms. Simerson said. EW Editors' note: Dr. Lane and Ms. Simerson have no financial interests related to the article. compatible with a new model? Is the practice capable of handling addi- tional management complexities? "To change those models is go- ing to require delegation," Dr. Lane said. Some elements of exams and most ancillary testing are delegated to employees. Most clinical employ- ees are not licensed, and there's a shortage of trained techs, which forces many practices to train their own. Additionally, EHR systems have caused increased use of scribes, there is minimal use of PAs and NPs, and some state regulations affect delegation. "The challenge, I think, is also an opportunity," Dr. Lane said. Practices are increasingly using integrated practice models to seize these efficiency opportunities to their benefit, he said. Many oppor- tunities are available to provide education to ODs, and physician extenders to improve quality of care and efficiency are available. Candace Simerson, COE, high- lighted how to make electronic by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Staff Writer optometrist is either seen as a super tech/screener or as a colleague. The OD that is the super tech/ screener would work up the patients for the MD, fit contact lenses, do some postoperative exams, and do a few exams. This is a very expensive model for the MD practice compared to using techs for the workup, Dr. Lane said. When having the OD as a colleague in the practice, the OD see patients with routine needs and practices to the limit of their licensure and training. The OD in this case would refer medical and surgical patients to an MD, and the MD would refer patients to the OD for routine care, postop care, contact lenses, and other exams. The OD as a colleague would allow existing MDs to do more surgery as opposed to adding another MD. There are also several types of models that ophthalmologists may want to incorporate, depending on how much they want doctors and techs involved in each level of the patient experience. When decid- ing whether your practice should change models, there are a number of factors to consider, Dr. Lane said. Is there patient demand to increase patient flow enough to pay for increased costs? What is the long- term plan of the practice? At what pace should the MD work? Is this C linical changes to practice were the major focus of a symposium on the modern healthcare environment. The symposium was mod- erated by Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Rockville Centre, N.Y., and Kerry Solomon, MD, Mount Pleasant, S.C. The session featured presentations on changes made in practice, like using new technologies, switching to electronic medical records, and an integrated eyecare model. Stephen Lane, MD, Stillwater, Minn., started off the session by talking about integrated eyecare delivery systems. The challenge is that our population is aging, he said, and older patients require more care. The demand for eyecare services is growing, but the supply of ophthal- mologists is shrinking. "This will lead to a future shortage of available eyecare," he said. An integrated eyecare delivery system can be divided in a number of different ways, with 3 possible ways being an ophthalmologist only system, MD/OD cooperation, or integrated eyecare delivery. With an integrated eyecare delivery system, the ophthalmologist needs to choose what type of optometric relations model he/she wants to have. This could be an internal or external approach. Dr. Lane focused on the internal approach where the ASCRS Symposia 'Survive or Thrive' with clinical changes in your practice Ms. Simerson presents on the potential values of using electronic medical records in practice. Watch ASCRS•ASOA Today in many San Diego hotels for the latest convention highlights Hotel Channel Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown 30 Declan Suites San Diego 1 Hard Rock Hotel San Diego 59 Hilton San Diego Bayfront 59 Hilton San Diego Gaslamp 46 Hotel Solamar 43 Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego 42 Omni San Diego Hotel 43 San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter 51 San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina 86 Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina 2 W Hotel San Diego 68 Westgate Hotel 1 Westin Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego 42 Westin San Diego 44 Wyndham San Diego Bayside 34

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