Optimize Your Optical Department — with Barbra Dey [Podcast]
Where Can I Subscribe?
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthcare-leadership-live/id1824450384
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3ORgeP9UqtEcEco3lEQaaS?si=d2d97b89a8c64508
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@seasoned-advice-llc/videos
Our Guest
Find Barbra Dey at https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbra-dey/ and at https://deyophthalmicconsulting.com/
Show Notes
Align optical operations with clinic mission: Run the optical in harmony with clinic values to enhance patient experience and profitability.
Make optical a true profit center: Evaluate pricing, vision plans, and operational efficiency to drive stronger financial results.
Create a unified patient journey: Tie clinic and optical experiences together for seamless, consistent patient care.
Recognize and empower optical staff: Acknowledge optical as vital to clinic success to boost engagement and retention.
Understand why optical is overlooked: Ophthalmology focuses on surgery; optical needs dedicated management and attention to perform well.
Train leaders beyond technical skills: Promote opticians carefully—great technicians aren’t always strong leaders without proper business training.
Educate administrators on optical management: Teach non-optical managers key metrics to hold teams accountable and grow revenue.
Use data to set expectations: Benchmark and track performance metrics to create clarity and sustainable growth.
Treat optical as both retail and healthcare: Combine medical expertise with retail strategies for a modern, customer-friendly business model.
Invest in optician education: Train team members in technical knowledge, aesthetics, and patient lifestyle assessments.
Match frames to personality and lifestyle: Use patient cues—face shape, preferences, and needs—to deliver personalized eyewear solutions.
Integrate optical into patient experience: Ensure optometrists refer patients to in-house optical for complete care and satisfaction.
Retain patients through collaboration: Keep the optical in-house to prevent blame and miscommunication with external vendors.
Avoid over-specializing optometrists: Let all ODs see both medical and optical patients to simplify scheduling and avoid silos.
Simplify patient scheduling: Reduce complexity for staff by maintaining flexible, inclusive scheduling processes across all patient types.
Educate patients on high-value products: Teach patients about premium lenses and coatings to increase satisfaction and revenue.
Select vision plans strategically: Stay in-network with a few profitable plans and frame all patients as valued customers.
Reframe “out-of-network” conversations: Instead of refusing coverage, explain benefits and make every patient feel included.
Recognize optical’s earning potential: Optical can produce 30–60% of practice revenue with proper focus and management.
Adapt to e‑commerce realities: Compete with online eyewear by offering superior education, personalization, and post-sale service.
Leverage e‑commerce to attract buyers: Offer online browsing or purchasing options while maintaining in-person care quality.
Build loyalty through personal relationships: Focus on trust, education, and connection—value patients beyond transactions.
Learn from Warby Parker’s hybrid model: Combine online convenience with in-person expertise to stay competitive and relevant.
Differentiate through superior staff training: Invest in ongoing clinical and retail education to outperform chain retailers.
Bridge medical and optical insights: Foster communication between clinical and optical teams for better patient outcomes.
Encourage cross‑team collaboration: Share information between optometrists and opticians to customize patient care and manage expectations.
Invest in team communication: Strong doctor–optician relationships lead to smoother transfers and higher patient satisfaction.
Promote optical as strategic advantage: A well-managed optical department boosts revenue, reputation, and patient loyalty across the practice.
