From Chaos to Order

Read time: 3 minutes

When it hits 9 am, a whirlwind of tasks can come down on you – sometimes even before your first patient walks through the door. It's easy to feel overwhelmed as these responsibilities pile up, and the desire to care for your patients safely, a full lunch break and trying to leave work on time all adds to the pressure.

This article aims to provide you with strategies to enhance your efficiency throughout the day, allowing you to navigate your tasks with in good time, without compromising the quality of care provided to your patients.

Multitasking is a skill that is indispensable in a hectic practice, where demands come at you from all directions. You may find yourself signing off on a child's collection, receiving reminders from the office staff about a referral, and being informed by the clinic coordinator that you're running behind schedule – all at once.

1) One thing I tell my team is that I will only sign off on children's collections or dispenses after completing the sight test (some people interrupt your sight test to sign a child off). As a result I know that after my handover there is likely that I need to do a sign off on the shopfloor. This becomes second nature, much like instinctively tightening the lid on a bottle – it's an automatic response.

2) Stay alert and aware of everything going on inside and outside your restroom. You can then foresee any tasks that will come your way in 10-15mins time eg a VA FIT post-teach. You can plan the next 30mins out in your mind, allowing you to multi-task with ease when the time comes.

3) Staying updated with the latest equipment can significantly simplify your professional life. Phoropters, for instance, have become a common tool, and their accuracy is impressive. If you're hesitant to use one, start by using it with a straightforward and younger patient. Your confidence will improve, making it an indispensable tool in your daily routine.

4) Efficiency often relies on the support of your shop floor staff. Their assistance can streamline your day, allowing you to focus on tasks without rushing. In instances where your clinic is running behind schedule, or you need to take slightly longer, they can inform patients of minor delays. OA’s/DO’s can then use this time for additional tasks like conducting a fields test or discussing frames and lenses. This gives you the extra few minutes to complete your current task whether it's explaining a retinal detachment to a patient or doing a contact lens fit as part of your sight test. If you do the latter, then this creative approach can combine two appointments into one, ultimately benefiting your schedule. Such efficiency is achieved through proactive communication and mutual understanding between optometrists and shopfloor staff, creating a smoother customer experience.

5) Referrals are an unavoidable aspect of your practice. However, they don't need to include every minor detail uncovered during a sight test. For instance, when referring a patient for cataract surgery, there's no need to mention motility results. Similarly, when referring for glaucoma, omitting minor findings like a pinguecula can enhance efficiency by only focusing on the actual condition you are concerned about.

Efficient referral management is essential, as taking too long with them can disrupt your entire day and create delays for subsequent patients. Ideally, make referrals immediately after examining the patient when the information is fresh in your mind. It will take you half the time to write it up and process it. I’ve seen Optometrists do referrals at the end of the day and stay 30mins later than their shift end time. I would hate this for myself and hence do them as I go along.

Efficiency is a journey, but it's one that can change your mindset about work. From having to stay late and being flustered throughout the day, to fulfilling your duties as an Optometrist and actually getting home on time.

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