Message From New Tech Network: Your Practice Needs Technology. Maybe Mine, Maybe Theirs

Women in Optometry

September 15, 2021

Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO, and her drcontactlens.com business partner, Jennifer Tabiza, OD, were preparing recently for the presentations they’ll be making at their booth during Vision Expo West. They discussed how challenging it can be for smaller technology companies that deliver great services to get the attention of doctors and key decision-makers in practice. So in less than a month, they created a process to make it easier. The result is Techifeye, a network of 13 technology companies that are cross-promoting the services of each participant.

“Doctors walk into the exhibit hall at major shows, and they often don’t have a plan of action. So we helped create one,” Dr. Rhue says. In the registration materials for Thursday’s event or at the booth of any of the 11 companies that are exhibiting, attendees can pick up a map that points out the companies. “The difference between entering the exhibit hall with no plan and entering with this plan for implementation is that this map gives doctors a mission and puts them in the right mindset and head space to listen to what these companies offer,” she says.

Plus, attendees who go to each of the 11 booths and get their map stamped are entered to win a $500 gift certificate. “All of us have the same message: you have to invest in technology, and we’re here to help you move forward,” says Dr. Rhue. The list of participating companies follows. Two additional ones are part of the network but will not be at VisionExpoWest.

She creates a scenario of how it can work. A doctor can go to each of these and prioritizes five technologies that he or she believes can move the practice ahead: a link for patient contact lens reorders, website support, a chatbot, insurance verification and text-to-patient technology, for example.

“The doctor can bring that list home as a plan for implementation. In month 1, maybe update the website. In month 2, add the contact lens reorder. It helps create a plan and alert the staff that there will be a series of changes that implement technologies that will make their lives easier and make the office processes go more smoothly.

The Technifeye member company representatives were on board with these ideas. “We have a louder voice and a stronger message if we coordinate the message,” Dr. Rhue says. “Our goal is to encourage doctors to come through the exhibit halls, with eyes and minds open to see and hear what these companies offer and understand the return on investment and the savings – both financial and in terms of staff time and patient engagement.

Not going to Expo? Learn more at How to Techifeye your Practice on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, noon to 1 p.m. Eastern time.

TECHIFEYE COMPANIES

Dr. Contact Lens: “It is great to see industry leaders come together under one umbrella to help promote technology that is helping bring practices and their patients closer together all while saving valuable staff time. We are excited to be a founding member and help the disruptees, the ODs, become the disruptors” – Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO Co-Founder Dr. Contact Lens

OMG! & Contentlinq: “It’s remarkable that there are so many excellent tech companies in the eye care space. By combining our resources and problem-solving abilities, we can help ECP is drive capture and multiple pair sales rates unlike any other time in history” – Bill Gerber, CEO

Simplifeye: “We’re dedicated to improving practice workflows through technology and streamlined processes, and Techifeye helps us advance that mission,” said Ryan Hungate, CEO of Simplifeye, a technology platform that optimizes operations for patient acquisition, scheduling, payment processing, and reactivation.” – Beth Gaddis, Director of Content Marketing

Optify: “We are thrilled to collaborate with such an amazing group of innovators to stand side-by-side in support of using technology to maximize practice revenue and optimizing the patient experience in-store and online.” – Dave Barton, CEO & Co-Founder

Anagram: “Eye care is an industry full of organizations driven by innovative people and technologies. TechifEYE represents a tremendous opportunity for each of us to learn from and leverage our expertise to improve the lives of eye care professionals and the patients they care for.” – Steve Alexander, Head of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships

Weave: “We are very excited to be a part of Techifeye. At the heart of Weave’s mission is empowering small businesses to be successful and make life easy. We are proud to be part of a community that shares that same vision in helping to bring useful technology and expertise  to the industries we serve.” -Adam Young, Director of Business Development

Roya: “Roya.com, the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing platform for eye care professionals, is proud to be a founding member of Techifeye.  The innovative approach in bringing tech-enabled efficiencies to the vision practices across the nation makes Roya the perfect partner in delivering best in class data-enabled marketing solutions.” -Mo Ranji, Founder and CEO

PracticePal: “We are excited about the opportunity to work with Techifeye and their amazing host of solutions. Our vision for PracticePal is to fill in some much needed gaps in the industry and our combined products enable offices to save time and money while focusing on what matters most…the patient.” – Nathan McClain, O.D. & Founder

Twelve84: “It can be frustrating for practices to know exactly what will help them thrive in an industry that has so many moving parts and challenges. With this best-in-class group of technology-focused companies, it’s a path of least resistance for key decision makers to narrowdown quickly what areas need focus and immediately save thousands of dollars with a better ROI.” – Natasha Vora, Founder & CEO

Sunbit: “At Sunbit, we pride ourselves on leveraging AI and machine learning to improve patient lives while enhancing optical practices’ productivity. We are excited to join forces with other technology-forward companies to celebrate the profound impact technology has on improving capture rate, increasing average transaction size, and elevating patient satisfaction levels.” -Arad Levertov, CEO, Sunbit

Also listed as a founding member are Dry Eye Rescue and Neurolens.