With 2020 upon us, let’s take a step back and celebrate how you, our readers, help patients achieve better vision.

Today’s focus on outcomes, especially given the downward pressure on reimbursement rates and the shift toward “value-based” care, may lead us to fixate on objective measures of visual performance. However, patients have come to expect both great visual outcomes and an extraordinary patient experience. These objectives require deliberate, thoughtful, and strategic coordination among many stakeholders, each of whom must own his or her piece of the patient journey.

For your patients, this journey starts with their initial inquiry, often through an online channel, which can present a gap in patient experience: Think about the last time you submitted an inquiry via the “Contact Us” page of a website. Did you even receive a response, and, if you did, was it timely?

In this year of celebration, why not take ownership of the patient journey? Consider assembling key members of your team to take part in this exercise:

1. Refresh or create a vision that encapsulates how you would like the practice to be perceived by your patients.
2. Outline each step in the patient journey, including the initial point of contact, scheduling, the initial visit, diagnostic testing, surgery scheduling, check-out, surgery day, etc.
3. Establish a measurement scale and self-assessment tool to provide a baseline score for each element of the journey.
4. Identify “gaps” or areas of opportunity to enhance the care experience.
5. Create an action plan that includes specific objectives, responsible parties, and timelines to implement process improvement.
6. Repeat the process periodically to compare performance over time.

The overall goals of the exercise are to achieve incremental improvements in workflow, staff morale, and patient satisfaction. These goals are best accomplished with the right team and an effective leader who can educate, motivate, and inspire. Physician and administrative leadership endorsement also goes a long way in convincing team members of the practice’s commitment to this worthwhile endeavor.

As you know, when trying to achieve a team goal, we are only as good as the weakest link in the chain. A thoughtful and deliberate approach to process improvement will allow you to identify weaker links and focus the team on what you can — and should — do differently or better to continue the legacy of improving the lives of your patients. OP