A Look Ahead

The Top Seven Trends

Impacting Ophthalmology in 2021
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Introduction
If we could identify one common thread for 2020, uncertainty has excellent potential. It isn’t easy to think of
another time in recent history with such widespread ambiguity or urgent call for agility.

In healthcare, the impact of COVID-19 was extensive. As a result, 2020 demanded the rapid organization of
resources from healthcare administrators and providers. It’s undeniable that in 2021 we will find ourselves in a
brand-new landscape of healthcare.

While reestablishing “order” can be an expected response to a crisis, a changing landscape can also signal new
opportunities and a faster path to innovation.

There is great leadership opportunity in harnessing this potential.

At the Core of Change

Ophthalmology has always been a field that is prepared to embrace change. Continually looking ahead for the
latest advancement in treatments and technology, ophthalmology practitioners have no fear of testing new
approaches to traditional issues.

2021 will reveal new areas of opportunity in medical and vision care, and practices that are ready to mobilize
these resources will be at a distinct competitive advantage.

Read on for the top seven trends to watch in 2021

for ophthalmology, along with strategies for reducing
workload and building revenue.

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Trend 1: Responsive & Strategic Digital Transformation

In 2021, orthopedics will see a turning point for healthcare in the form of a digital transformation.

We see healthcare’s digital transformation occurring in conscious response to the coronavirus pandemic and as
organizations and practices investigate the crucial toeholds that stimulate profitability, patient acquisition and
staff productivity for the upcoming year.

It has never been more critical to proactively put existing resources to work and seize the opportunity for
greater efficiency.

71%
of healthcare executives expect the COVID-19 pandemic
to be one of the biggest opportunities for growth in their
industry.
- McKinsey & Company

How to Utilize • Look for new opportunities

• Cultivate and adapt existing resources
Change • Proactively lay a foundation for long-term stability

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Trend 2: Patients Looking for Connection

The biggest opportunity in 2021 for ophthalmology practices and clinics is establishing a digital front door for
your organization, setting up a point of connection for new and existing patients.

In 2021, forward-thinking ophthalmology administrators will be working to adopt this presence in leaps and
bounds.

Facilitating the The traditional model of patient intake moves in one direction, with the patient
moving towards the practice or health system, and the catalyst typically being
Connection either medical emergency or peer referral. While this process can successfully
send information through established channels, it is a closed circuit with no
capacity to offer input. Historical methods of patient intake are also vulnerable
to error, labor-heavy and exceptionally time-consuming for both patients and
staff.

Replacing this system with a digital front door pushes your practice into an
exceptional position, primed to increase visibility and optimize resources
sustainably.

Implementing the The implementation of a digital front door refers to technology that offers
round-the-clock access for patients. It’s open at others’ convenience to be
Digital Front Door able to locate and choose services and providers, book appointments, receive
reminders, pre-register, check in and use two-way mobile texting for fast
information at their fingertips. Multiple people can use it at once instead of
one phone line per medical receptionist and several calls on hold.

The digital front door works because it’s based on empowering patients with
safe and secure self-service while applying a business model to healthcare
that fosters patient engagement and lightens staff workload.

The Average The mindset of the average modern consumer is attuned to mobile access,
searchability and location proximity. While paperwork can’t offer transparency
Modern Consumer and access, a digital front door can.

Ophthalmology providers benefit from this access by being able to publicize

services, broaden their reach and drive new patient acquisition. With robust
data collection and prompts for relevant elective procedures at any step of the
patient journey, providers can significantly enhance processes and marketing
abilities. This bi-directional framework creates an active platform that attracts,
connects and informs to help practices thrive — and this will be a model
characteristic of planning for the year ahead.

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Trend 3: Quality and Quantity in Throughput

As ophthalmology administrators look at how they can maintain financial stability through whatever rises and
dips 2021 brings, patient throughput comes into focus.

Increasing Patient Facilitating increased patient throughput is a natural next step for 2021.
However, rapid scaling of appointment availability without process audits
Volume
can lead to further issues to solve down the line and continually strained
workloads.

Instead, practices should concentrate efforts on pre-qualifying patients

before appointments, and perhaps reallocate staff specifically for this
purpose.

Early Verification The extended furloughs and layoffs of 2020 have interrupted health
coverage for many people, making early eligibility verification a critical
point for providers.

For ophthalmology practices, careful attention to benefits and coverage

can support increased patient volume while aiding financial stability.
These proactive measures will allow the greatest and fastest capture of
compensation and make increased volume a successful strategy.

The Factors of Focus on these 3 factors can determine readiness for scalability and
the ability to grow patient acquisition and raise throughput.
Scalability for
Growth • Employees: is your staff ready, empowered, trained,
compassionate, responsive?
• Equipment: are your tools integrated, simple, easy to use,
effective, productive, supportive of your staff?
• Throughput: are your patients prepared, pre-registered, verified,
communicated with, safe, secure, engaged?

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Trend 4: Consideration of the Infrastructure

As we see our over-60 population double in the next decade, ophthalmologists will be working to balance an
increasing number of cataract surgeries with clinic services that generate a healthier profit margin. With the 15%
reduction in cataract surgery reimbursement from Medicare enacted last January, administrators are keeping a
close eye on service distribution.

Investing to Gain Many providers are also considering Ambulatory Surgery Center
partnership investment or acquisition, where reimbursement rates are
slightly higher, and throughput tends to be faster. Increased throughput
at an ASC translates into greater profit, especially for shareholders in
an economies of scale perspective. Cataract surgery yields can also
be bolstered at the time of service by added patient self-pay premium
services to address glaucoma or astigmatism with cost-comparable
associated sedation, recovery and pain management.

Building a Solid In a public health crisis, the ability of ophthalmology practices to continue
surgeries is greatly improved in ASCs or office-based specialized cataract
Foundation
surgery suites, where safety protocol and exposure can be better
controlled than in a multi-department hospital. Leveraging pre-check and
COVID-19 pre-screening practices can provide surgical patients with the
reassurance they need. Being able to consistently maintain a surgery
schedule prevents surgery backlog and alleviates bottlenecked cash flow.

Combine automated eligibility verification, payer integration and

streamlined intake to support operations — including staff reallocated as
greeters or ambassadors to assist older patients. Better flow efficiency will
foster better profitability and deeper patient satisfaction.

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Trend 5: Telehealth’s Tenacity

The 2020 implementation of telehealth in ophthalmology allowed practices to reduce COVID-19 transmission
risk, triage patients without them traveling into a treatment environment and maintain care for many at-risk
patients. Telehealth also protected staff from exposure, allowing clinics to continue operating.

Expanding Access The positions of payers, state medical boards and federal regulators
relaxed in 2020 to enable telehealth care to contain the virus’ spread.

Many practitioners looked to the American Medical Association (AMA) for

broad-scope guidance, who tackled telehealth’s implementation learning
curve with the AMA Digital Health Implementation Playbook. As a result
of telehealth’s positive impact, the AMA is advocating for future continued
use.

“We have moved forward a decade in the use of telemedicine in this

country and it’s going to become, and will remain, an increasingly
important part of physician practices going forward,” says Todd Askew, the
senior vice president of advocacy at the AMA.

“ We have moved forward a decade in the use

of telemedicine in this country and it’s going to
become, and will remain, an increasingly important
part of physician practices going forward.
”
- TODD ASKEW, SENIOR VP, ADVOCACY, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

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Trend 6: A Focus on Communication

Timely and informative communication was a hallmark of patient care in 2020, especially when adopting new
safety protocols. Medical practitioners quickly updated website information and used text and email to send visit
instructions and activate virtual waiting rooms.

Comprehensive Embracing comprehensive communication tactics allowed providers to

instill common safety measures and demonstrate to patients that their
Communication
well-being was of the highest priority. When patients acutely needed
Channels confidence and reassurance, the healthcare field was able to initiate a
structured response.

Now that space exists for better patient communication in healthcare,

ophthalmology providers can develop the architecture to enhance patient
engagement and new patient acquisition, and gain patient loyalty through
relationship nurturing.

Optimizing Provider While communication can directly influence patient satisfaction, precise
and effective messaging can optimize schedules, fill open time slots and
Schedules
dramatically reduce no-shows. Letting patients know they can pre-register
for visits and take care of co-pays and outstanding balances at their
convenience reduces friction and saves time on both sides of the desk.

Patient Engagement at In 2019, a study by Deloitte forecast “consumeristic behavior” as a

compelling central component of healthcare over the next 20 years, but
the Center
the 2020 pandemic has greatly accelerated that progression. Channeling
patients towards engagement and loyalty also requires a consumer-centric
level of customer service in return.

When people see safety and communication as markers of patient-friendly

service, solid communication will help steer their healthcare decisions.

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Trend 7: Care Excellence Extended to Staff

The Power of Healthcare is only manageable as long as there are people in place to
administer it. 2020 showed us the power of a pandemic when staff were
a Pandemic overwhelmed and still had their own families and health to care for.

Protecting and supporting staff keeps care running smoothly and honors the
Protecting & commitment of medical professionals in the toughest of times.
Supporting Staff
The potential to revolutionize healthcare will include better strategies to
protect staff, extending the cycle of care so that it can continue.

By ensuring well-being at the core of healthcare operations, ophthalmology

practices and clinics will foster the connections and efficiency that will have
the greatest impact in 2021.

Ophthalmology practices can prioritize a healthy working

environment, taking lessons from the previous year to implement
superior methods.
Prioritizing Staff
Care A strong approach to staff care includes:

• Manageable, meaningful workloads

• Efficient processes and equipment
• Less tedious and repetitive tasks

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Massive shifts in healthcare delivery influenced the directions

we foresee in the year ahead for ophthalmology providers.

Digitizing operations will take the great strides developed in 2020 and put them to further use in 2021.

The time to plan is now.

Health administration has no seasonal or natural break. An specialty practice may scale back operations
or assign priorities as needed, but there is no slow period for medicine. The length of the disruption could,
reasonably, inform the depth of the change.

2020 gave us change that necessitated innovation — and advanced healthcare operations years ahead of
where we otherwise would have been. Taking what we’ve learned and applying it towards dynamic operations
makes us agile and able to pivot with the tools we need at hand.

The key to smart and competitive acceleration in 2021 is to proceed past a phase of caution as the year end
draws closer and harness the opportunities.

ABOUT CLEARWAVE
Since 2004, Clearwave has provided a streamlined check-in experience for hospitals, health systems, clinics
and specialty practices. Our intuitive, easy-to-use electronic process allows patients to check in faster and avoid
lines. Check-in times are consistently reduced to three minutes or less, making patients happier and speeding
up patient throughput.

System features such as real-time insurance eligibility and upfront payments help practices reduce rejected
insurance claims and increase cash flow. In fact, Clearwave increases point-of-service collections up to 65%.
Fewer potentially embarrassing patient questions or uncomfortable payment conversations ease the burden of
front-desk staff.

We’ve checked in and verified eligibility for more than 55 million patients in 43 states, and those numbers are
growing daily.

To learn more about Clearwave, request a demo, or meet us at clearwaveinc.com

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