Eye Focus December 2017 | Page 8

By moving the front desk or 'chaos centre,' as he calls it, away from patients and redubbing it the 'Administration Centre', the sound of phones, faxing, discussions surrounding bookings, scheduling and billing, are all taken away. This increases the privacy for staff to discuss details with patients, while eliminating distracting noise pollution. "This frees up the floor staff to be dedicated to the patient in front of them and not be constantly interrupted by the phone, couriers et cetera while they are engaged with the patient," he said. The office also differs in its office paging system, as well as its hands-free communication radios that allow staff to respond to requests from their colleagues swiftly and quietly, while creating an intimate and more personalized hand off of the patient to support staff, with information on the patients' needs and who they are. "This eliminates even more of the background noise which most offices are plagued with," he said. "My staff can now alert each other when a specific area needs more support." The office has two separate greeting areas, with one equipped with refreshments for patients/companions, alongside a second room for those who have already seen a doctor, which has also reduced traffic. The 8 EYE FOCUS | December Digital 2016 practice also has a dedicated contact lens teaching and training area, with a large diagnostic and retail inventory that allows his business to provide what his patients require, when they need it. DiBerardino said it was a significant investment, but in a competitive market, it's important to meet patient needs so they will keep coming back, rather than send them off to spend money elsewhere.