Keeping Your Eye on the Prize

By Jennifer DelPrete

5 steps to maximizing the clinical and financial benefits of AdaptDx

When it comes to your eye care practice, you have plenty to juggle in your day-to-day activities. Between patient examinations and handling the routine tasks of running your business, it can seem daunting to add more responsibilities to your plate. So when it comes to implementing a new technology, you want something that will fit immediately and seamlessly into your workflow without any learning curve. But as with most things, there will be challenges that have to be overcome and I’m here to talk about conquering these difficulties in order to reap the long-term benefits of disrupting your typical practice flow in the short-term.

In this blog, I’m talking all about AdaptDx^® technology integration and how MacuLogix partners with you every step of the way. Here are 5 quick and easy steps to maximize the clinical and financial benefits of the AdaptDx:  

1. Don’t go it alone

Each AdaptDx dark adaptometer purchase is supported by our AMD Excellence Program^TM and a team of experienced practice management consultants. After assessing your current clinical workflow, your practice management consultant helps you incorporate dark adaptation testing into your practice protocol and acts as an on-going resource for you and your team. We guide you through each step in our process — installation, orientation, training, workflow integration, and optimization – and tailor it based on your custom practice needs. Our team makes sure you and your team never feel overwhelmed during the process.

“Thanks to the comprehensive AMD Excellence Program from MacuLogix, each staff member, from the front desk and optical to technicians and billing, understands the important role they play in AMD care.”

– Aaron Werner, OD (El Cajon, CA)

In addition, the AMD Academy^TM acts as an online learning community designed to support you. Do you have new technicians who haven’t had a chance to go through our AMD Excellence Program? Or maybe some team members need refreshers on certain AdaptDx features? No problem! This learning portal is the place to find training demonstrations and a community discussion board for all your burning questions.

2. Take small, simple steps each day

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. When it comes to staying focused and on-task, it’s important to remember to take little steps every day and avoid the impulse to rush. Rome wasn’t built in a day so be sure to set little goals for each week to keep things manageable for you and your staff. Several small and simple (but important) steps you can take after receiving your device include:

• Discussing the clinical impact and why you invested in this new technology with your staff and patients
• Promoting your new device through printed and digital marketing materials provided by MacuLogix
• Optimizing your AdaptDx workspace with accessories to maximize efficiency

3. Find the right patients to test

Victory comes from finding opportunities in (night vision) problems. AMD is three times more prevalent than glaucoma, yet many primary care providers do not diagnose AMD until it is too late. These patients are already in your practice, the question is how do we find them? Since we know that age is the biggest risk factor for age-related macular degeneration, you should test all your patients over 50.

However, this could be overwhelming at first, so you can also narrow it done to symptomatic patients. Since we now know that trouble seeing at night is the earliest symptom of this progressive eye disease, simply asking,  “Are you having trouble seeing at night?” can help you prioritize symptomatic patients. Plus, this could also uncover a medical reason to administer a dark adaptation test.

Identifying AMD patients through dark adaptation testing can lead to more proactive care and more frequent medical office visits to help manage the disease. Not only does it increase revenue from medically-necessary auxiliary assessments, finding AMD can lead to additional income from sales of nutraceuticals, blue light blocking lenses and protective sunglasses.

4. Consider expanding the roles within your practice

Along with the additional testing and treatment opportunities, this technology will also open up an entirely new world for your fellow practitioners and office staff. Do you have anyone on your team who is particularly enthusiastic about early AMD detection? If so, you might want to consider expanding the roles in your practice. A great way to position your practice as an AMD Center of Excellence^® is by having a dedicated AMD Coordinator. Stephanie Mateosky of Medina Vision Centre of Medina, Ohio, is doing just that, distinguishing herself in a position that specializes in identifying patients with AMD and overseeing their personalized treatment programs.

Currently, Stephanie has certain days that are dedicated to AdaptDx testing. On these days, she will run the test on patients and after the doctor discusses the test results with the patient, she will review their treatment plan, coordinate the testing schedule, and ensure everyone gets the correct follow-up appointment. Stephanie’s role is vital, given the progressive nature of the disease and the need for continual monitoring, treatment, and support.

Maybe your practice could also benefit from having this role in your team of AMD Experts! An AMD Coordinator can help ensure quality care for your patients and optimize practice time-management. (Props to Stephanie for blazing a trail for a new eye care best practice!)

5. Promote your practice and new technology

As an eye care professional, you probably aren’t interested in hearing about marketing – you’re an eye care professional, not some advertiser! But the marketing materials we provide you are all specially-crafted to help you educate your patients about AMD and dark adaptation functional testing while promoting your commitment to detecting and managing this disease. 

These resources include a variety of items to educate your patients and optimize your practice as an AMD Center of Excellence, such as brochures and posters and are easy as a simple download or quick order. And we send each new customer a starter pack.

With our online storefront, you can get complimentary replacements of AMD patient education materials for your practice. All you have to do is log-in, place an order, and we will mail these materials to you for free.

Looking for more ways to promote your practice? The AMD Academy is available to all our customers and includes a full collection of downloadable materials ranging from our AMD Risk Assessment Form to our comprehensive Online Promotional Kit.

We stick by your side when it comes to when and how to use our marketing materials so it’s never overwhelming. We made sure to think of everything, so you wouldn’t have to! That way you can easily promote your practice and new AdaptDx like a pro without the hassle.

Implementing new technology and maximizing the benefits is one small step for your practice but one giant leap for all optometry! As you can see from these 5 tips, integrating devices like the AdaptDx doesn’t have to be overwhelming, especially when you have the right support system behind you all the way.

As one of the members of that support system, my ultimate goal is to make sure you leave your practice each night knowing you did everything you could to take care of your patients. Remember, the changes you make today have a global impact on the future of optometry.

Cheers,

Each AdaptDx purchase is supported by our AMD Excellence Program. We have a team of experienced Practice Management Consultants who will partner with you at each step of the way.