Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Call forth your inner Sherlock and follow clues to solve hidden problems.

If you could put a process in place that would help you run a more profitable eye care practice, wouldn’t you jump at the chance? Sure, there are lots of profitability plans out there, but what about a plan you can really execute?

In his webinar, “Introduction to Process Improvement,” Frank Cohen, senior analyst from The Frank Cohen Group, LLC, a health care consulting firm specializing in practice analytics, process improvement and litigation support, provides practical advice on how to set profitability momentum in motion.

Ask Yourself This Question

Before you do anything, come to terms with this important question: What’s the primary responsibility of an ophthalmology practice? Sure, the most common answer is to provide quality healthcare to your patients.

“I’m not disagreeing that that is a really important goal of a medical practice,” says Cohen. “If you don’t do that, you shouldn’t be in this field.” But the primary responsibility of a medical practice is to be profitable, he says.

Why is that? If you’re not profitable, “you can’t afford to provide quality healthcare services or quality pay and benefits to your staff, and then you have a high turnover rate, and high turnover compromises the quality of the services that you provide to your patients,” says Cohen.

“I’m not negating the importance of quality of care … but unless we can afford to continue to operate and afford the cost of the quality services we provide, we’ll no longer be in business,” advises Cohen, who uses his expertise in Lean Six Sigma methodology to help medical practices to achieve efficiency and healthy bottom lines.

Why not consider a proven process improvement plan, which Cohen presents as follows: