LESSONS FROM COVID-19

THE PANDEMIC certainly taught us something about working remotely. Billions of people across the globe logged in from home as the lockdown happened, and when it was safe to return to the workplace, many of them decided to stay home.

Jobs that had previously been performed in person quickly became remote. Connecting with people very quickly meant web conferencing, text, and instant messaging rather than face-to-face discussions. Prior to the pandemic, eye care looked adoringly at other professions that had remote workers. Has the pandemic changed that, and is a remote workforce a new normal in eye care?

Traditionally, many have thought of remote workers as people who are disconnected. Eye care has not really found a way to be remote because it requires technology and hands-on slit lamp exams and refractions. It seems as if telemedicine in eye care had started to gain some traction during the pandemic and then quickly fizzled as practices resumed their in-office patient care.

THE GREAT RESIGNATION

Enter the Great Resignation, which has been described as a period of an elevated rate of resignations, starting in April 2021 (Fontinelle and Kelly, 2022). Across the country, practices have shared observations of a decline in employment and a struggle in hiring new team members.

In response, I (Dr. Kading) began looking with my team at expanding capabilities to work with a more remote workforce. Having employees remote (whether onshore or offshore) would expand our practice’s hiring ability. Our billing manager, who moved out of state five years ago for personal reasons, is already remote. But in what other areas could we look to expand to a more remote workforce?

PUTTING REMOTE WORK INTO PRACTICE

A remote worker does not have face time with a patient, so look at who interacts with patients but never has face time with them. A remote team can take over recall outgoing calls to patients and limit the number of calls coming into the clinic.

Next, look at how a remote team could reduce the burden of clinical care. Technicians and scribes are an essential part of an eyecare practice, but some have started using web conferencing with a remote scribe in the exam room with the patient and eyecare provider while other technicians are working up the next patient. Scribes working remotely could also write letters, call in prescriptions, help patients and staff with contact lens orders, and more.

THE VERDICT

Understaffing is a plague that seems to be haunting practices. A remote team can ease the burden on current employees while enhancing the quality of the care given by the practice. We believe that staff working remotely will become a more normal state of employment in eyecare practices in the near future. CLS

REFERENCES

1. Fontinelle A, Kelly RC. Investopedia. What Is The Great Resignation? Causes, Statistics, and Trends. 2022 Sept. Available at investopedia.com/the-great-resignation-5199074 . Accessed Nov. 28, 2022.