Best Practice Episode 2: The Balance of Modern Tech & Patient Care - Dr. Stephen Cohen

[AdminWolf]

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Cohen, a 2018 CooperVision Best Practices honoree shares how critical it is for practices to balance modern technology and patient care.

We will be putting up videos over the next several weeks and months where each of the Best Practices will be sharing tips.

Weigh in with your feedback or send @Stephen Cohen OD a PM here on ODwire.org.


And for more info about the Best Practices program, watch this intro video with Dr. Michele Andrews.

 

[AdminWolf]

Thanks again to Steve for taking the time to do this.

His practice is remarkable in a number of ways, I hope that video got the point across -- the personal touch is critical, and the question i'd ask ODwire folks is how many are using similar techniques (the cell phone thing still blows my mind -- I know LCT and a couple of others do it, is it becoming more common?)

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[AdminWolf]

The most critical point that Dr. Cohen makes is that it is important to focus on personal interactions (ie, go beyond "which is clearer, red or green?")

Here are a couple of anecdotes that we had to cut from the video due to time constraints that illustrate this more clearly (cool stories):

 

[Paul Farkas]

Some great practice management tips!

My experience indicates that the most successful ODs spend the few moments to view other successful practices to get even a single new idea. This is the success loop.

This presentation is must viewing for all...those early in practice and those towards the latter part of practice where some new energy is needed to maintain success.

Participate and comment. Dr Stephen Cohen is available to answer questions.

 

[AdminWolf]

His approach is designed to build loyalty... one final anecdote:

 

[Diane Robbins-Luce]

Nice interview Adam, thanks for bringing this to us. Many valuable insights to be sure.

Like you Adam, I google searched Doctor My Eyes. First thing that struck me was 5 stars on Google and Yelp and lots of, relative to me and most of our colleagues, reviews.

I imagine there has to be an element of self promotion to garner more reviews. While I have a nice graphic sign asking and the verbiage on our statements ask for reviews I am shy by nature and don't find comfort in eye to eye asking for reviews.

@Stephen Cohen OD do you have any specific tactics that you implement along this line?

 

[joel j ackerman]

The most critical point that Dr. Cohen makes is that it is important to focus on personal interactions (ie, go beyond "which is clearer, red or green?")

Here are a couple of anecdotes that we had to cut from the video due to time constraints that illustrate this more clearly (cool stories):

This is a great interview. Steve is my new hero-- and his practice is about 12 miles from mine and I've known him for years. Did not know he was so smart.

 

[Frederick Frost]

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Cohen, a 2018 CooperVision Best Practices honoree shares how critical it is for practices to balance modern technology and patient care.

We will be putting up videos over the next several weeks and months where each of the Best Practices will be sharing tips.

Weigh in with your feedback or send @Stephen Cohen OD a PM here on ODwire.org.


And for more info about the Best Practices program, watch this intro video with Dr. Michele Andrews.

I absolutely loved that video and want to thank Dr. Cohen for sharing his thoughts. I love the care calls, the comment about phone messaging was priceless, and the fact that he gives his cell phone number out which I think is awesome.

 

[Stephen Cohen OD]

Nice interview Adam, thanks for bringing this to us. Many valuable insights to be sure.

Like you Adam, I google searched Doctor My Eyes. First thing that struck me was 5 stars on Google and Yelp and lots of, relative to me and most of our colleagues, reviews.

I imagine there has to be an element of self promotion to garner more reviews. While I have a nice graphic sign asking and the verbiage on our statements ask for reviews I am shy by nature and don't find comfort in eye to eye asking for reviews.

@Stephen Cohen OD do you have any specific tactics that you implement along this line?

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your kind words. The level and number of reviews we have gotten has played a big role in our schedule. For new patients, I am booked out about 2 months, and for former patients, between 4-6 weeks (we hold more appointment slots for former ["loyal"] patients). Our on-line reviews have helped with our SEO and high listing when people do a search. This is why getting reviews in both quantity and quality is so helpful.

It is very hard to "ask for the business." I have three thoughts that your could consider as a starting point. First, I have no doubt that many patients say nice things to you at the end of the exam. You can piggyback off of that to thank them for their feedback, and let them know that one of the primary ways people find you is through on-line reviews, and that if this patient can take a moment to write a review with the comments just stated, others will be more likely to find you as well. If you do something different (the proverbial "no one has figured that out before"), it provides an opportunity so that other people who may have struggled with similar issues can read in an on-line review that they could get help as well. This could be someone who was told in the past that they couldn't wear contact lenses, or someone with a chronic complaint that was never addressed, a child who passes screenings but has other vision problems never diagnosed, etc.). Asking for the review will seem like less about you and more about how this person can get the word out to others who are similarly struggling or suffering.

Secondly, your front office staff often gets positive feedback when the patient goes to check out. If the patient says something positive, the staff member, if you feel uncomfortable doing so, can ask for the review, similarly by saying that this is how nice people like you find us. Also, if someone is particularly nice, your front office staff can ask for reviews by saying "can you refer more patients like you, please?" If a patient isn't a frequent on-line reviewer, you can have printed form with instructions to give to the patient as to how to post a review. (You can explain to patients that you have taken the time to get these printed up because the questions comes up frequently enough).

Thirdly, there are recall/patient management software programs that help with recalls, reminders, and ALSO will request reviews for patients who fill out brief surveys about their experience. These programs will then transfer the patient to Yelp, Google, etc.

I hope these ideas help. Most of us are uncomfortable "asking for business (even though we hear it from our many reps virtually every time they visit)." Either work on verbiage that you may be comfortable with, or consider one of these other options. Please let me know how it goes, if this information is helpful, and if you want to discuss this further.

Good luck!

 

[Stephen Cohen OD]

This is a great interview. Steve is my new hero-- and his practice is about 12 miles from mine and I've known him for years. Did not know he was so smart.

Thanks, Joel! YOU'VE always been one of my heroes. I'm not that smart. Adam has a keen ability to make me sound that way!

 

[Diane Robbins-Luce]

Hi Greg,

Thanks for your kind words. The level and number of reviews we have gotten has played a big role in our schedule. For new patients, I am booked out about 2 months, and for former patients, between 4-6 weeks (we hold more appointment slots for former ["loyal"] patients). Our on-line reviews have helped with our SEO and high listing when people do a search. This is why getting reviews in both quantity and quality is so helpful.

It is very hard to "ask for the business." I have three thoughts that your could consider as a starting point. First, I have no doubt that many patients say nice things to you at the end of the exam. You can piggyback off of that to thank them for their feedback, and let them know that one of the primary ways people find you is through on-line reviews, and that if this patient can take a moment to write a review with the comments just stated, others will be more likely to find you as well. If you do something different (the proverbial "no one has figured that out before"), it provides an opportunity so that other people who may have struggled with similar issues can read in an on-line review that they could get help as well. This could be someone who was told in the past that they couldn't wear contact lenses, or someone with a chronic complaint that was never addressed, a child who passes screenings but has other vision problems never diagnosed, etc.).

Secondly, your front office staff often gets positive feedback when the patient goes to check out. If the patient says something positive, the staff member, if you feel uncomfortable doing so, can ask for the review, similarly by saying that this is how nice people like you find us. Also, if someone is particularly nice, your front office staff can ask for reviews by saying "can you refer more patients like you, please?" If a patient isn't a frequent on-line reviewer, you can have printed form with instructions to give to the patient as to how to post a review. (You can explain to patients that you have taken the time to get these printed up because the questions comes up frequently enough).

Thirdly, there are recall/patient management software programs that help with recalls, reminders, and ALSO will request reviews for patients who fill out brief surveys about their experience. These programs will then transfer the patient to Yelp, Google, etc.

I hope these ideas help. Most of us are uncomfortable "asking for business (even though we hear it from our many reps virtually every time they visit)." Either work on verbiage that you may be comfortable with, or consider one of these other options. Please let me know how it goes, if this information is helpful, and if you want to discuss this further.

Good luck!

Thank you Steve!
I appreciate, very much, the time you have taken to be of assistance. These are all solid and workable solutions to garner more reviews.
I especially like this: Asking for the review will seem like less about you and more about how this person can get the word out to others who are similarly struggling or suffering.
Cheers,
Greg

 

[Paul Farkas]

A special thanks to CooperVision. The company is sponsoring this series to assist ODs in becoming more successful. Notice there is not a single mention of CooperVision products.

CooperVision is being generous using this video interview format. The creativity and production to make an interesting informative interview is complex, time consuming and costly.

We at ODwire.org hope our efforts are adding to your knowledge in an easy to absorb format.

 

[Diane Robbins-Luce]

A special thanks to CooperVision. The company is sponsoring this series to assist ODs in becoming more successful. Notice there is not a single mention of CooperVision products.

CooperVision is being generous using this video interview format. The creativity and production to make an interesting informative interview is complex, time consuming and costly.

We at ODwire.org hope our efforts are adding to your knowledge in an easy to absorb format.

You forgot to ask for a Yelp review Paul, wink-wink. We can do better thanks to Stephen's example.

 

[Stephen Cohen OD]

I absolutely loved that video and want to thank Dr. Cohen for sharing his thoughts. I love the care calls, the comment about phone messaging was priceless, and the fact that he gives his cell phone number out which I think is awesome.

Thanks, Dr. Frost! I really appreciate it. If you implement any of these ideas, please let me know how it goes. My direct email is stephen.cohen@doctormyeyes.net.

Steve