It's All About People

Do we really practice psychology?...

My father (an OD) and I often joke about how we actually practice psychology all day - nothing to do with eye care - and it's often very true! Because it's all about people. The clinical stuff becomes second nature after a while...

In our world of medicine and healthcare, we often hear discussions about practice management strategies, revenue optimization, operational efficiency, etc. There are groups on every corner claiming to be practice management experts reaching out to us. While the business aspect is very important, this seems to always overshadow what we should be focusing on: People. And they come to us by choice to be our patients!

We must remember that without first building a following of patients, legitimately for the right reasons, there is no practice to manage. This fundamental truth is often overlooked in our rush to prioritize profits through the latest practice management techniques - which unethically can easily influence patient management decisions if we don’t pay close attention. There is a very fine line.

Patient Management focuses on clinical care, treatment planning, health record documentation, and coordinating patient care. It’s about the human element - addressing individual needs, building relationships, and doing our best to make happy patients and superior outcomes.

Practice Management is the administrative and business operations: scheduling, billing, claims processing, and staff management. These systems keep the practice running.

While both are necessary, I believe the relationship is hierarchical, not parallel. Patient management creating trust must form the foundation upon which practice management is built.

When a person comes to see us, they bring more than just their medical conditions - they bring their trust, fears, and hopes. It has been shown 60-70% of patients return after receiving what they believe is quality care, and 30-40% will disappear due to a poor experience. This supports trust first drives and builds our practices.

Building a trusting relationship requires 100% honesty and prioritizing individual needs above administrative concerns - and yes, sometimes we must sacrifice profit to do the right thing. It means seeing patients as people first, not just appointments in a schedule or entries in a billing system to yield income.

Medical groups who embrace this patient-first philosophy consistently outperform those focused primarily on business metrics. I did some research…

For example, Bayhealth’s implementation of patient-centered approaches resulted in an 8% increase in annual wellness visits and a 3% reduction in readmissions. By integrating social determinants of health screening into their care model, they addressed the whole person, not just the presenting symptoms.

Similarly, FirstHealth of the Carolinas grew exponentially by prioritizing patient experience. They reduced wait times from 14 days to under 5 days and saw a 25% increase in oncology patient volumes, leading to an 84% increase in associated revenues.

To build a thriving practice, consider this…

Establish exceptional patient care systems first.
Find meaningful and personal connections with every patient in your chair.
Develop trust through consistent, quality care - this is not cliché - it's just true!
Allow word-of-mouth to generate referrals - nothing is more powerful - and it's free!

Once the word is out and your patients are lining up, this will drive your focus towards higher level administrative systems which you will then be able to afford.

And when you prioritize people management, many practice management challenges are surprisingly easier and resolve themselves. Satisfied patients are more likely to pay their bills, follow treatment plans, and refer others - addressing revenue cycle, clinical outcomes, and marketing concerns simultaneously.

I believe we need to evolve and understand the distinction between patient management and practice management. Those who realize appropriate patient care (eg Ophthalmic Medicine) drives practice success will thrive, while those who reverse this equation putting profits first will continue to struggle. I also believe the rampant corporate influence and continued commoditization of refractive and optical based practices will be the death of many OD careers - replaced by remote optical services - No OD required. Similar to the recent OTC hearing aid regulations in audiology.

Remember: You need patients to have a practice, but patients don’t need your specific practice to receive care. They have choices. Make your practice the one they choose by putting their needs first.

John R. Martinelli

"5 Mistakes ODs Make That Undermine Their Medical Authority"

OD's...Are you quietly giving your practice away?...

In daily practice, the biggest threat to patient retention isn’t dissatisfaction.

It’s perception - specifically, the perception your care has limits.

When your practice setting, clinical approach, communication, or referral habits suggest you’ll hand off the “serious stuff” - you’ve already given them permission to go elsewhere next time.

Most patients don’t disappear because you did something wrong. They leave and don't come back because you've unknowingly (or knowingly) gave them a reason to.

Let’s change that.

Click & Download the PDF (FREE):

THE MISTAKES & WHAT TO DO

You’ll also get first access to my upcoming digital program & system: