5 Practice Must-Haves
Every healthcare specialty has its minimum equipment and knowledge necessary to operate effectively. The top tangibles, regardless of specialty, are such things as office location, equipment, and practitioner knowledge. The softer skills include clinical acumen, professional relationships, mindful communication, and empathy. Combined, these contribute to the development of practice excellence.

In the specialty of optometry, these 5 practice must-haves are all equally necessary and all play important roles in patient care within your practice.

Specialty skills. In optometry, there are very few unique must-haves but at the top of the list is refractive skill. I will never skip retinoscopy, nor any step in my refraction, from monocular best-corrected vision to binocular balance. There have been too many times where a simple binocular check would reveal a missed prism or an overminused eye. Any time you have to recheck spectacles, it is a waste of time for all involved. As a practical matter, you can deliver the best surgical care or cure the nastiest eye infection, but if you cannot produce a simple pair of glasses, you are deemed a nincompoop and have lost a patient forever.

Knowledge. Keep it fresh when it comes to your knowledge base. Peer-reviewed journal articles are easily available online. Make it a habit to review a few new publications each day. Keep your interest in your specialty, but not at the expense of related fields. Subscriptions abound and are easily found. In addition, listserv groups are often an easy way to introduce new topics to your attention. It is a simple habit to peruse an article for a few minutes each day when you have it delivered to your electronic mail.

Strong referral network. The referral network you develop reflects your practice ideology and patient needs. Develop and maintain professional relationships with the subspecialists who treat your patients. Ensure that your referral network treats your patients with the care and empathy you yourself show them. The "Dr. House" of the area may be brilliant but is rarely the sole proprietor of knowledge.

Technology. Love it or hate it, having fluent knowledge of the technology in your office and available for your patient care is now a necessity. What you cannot afford in-house, you should have available through a friendly referral. For new technology and its applications, learning from the trade shows is just the first step. Peer discussion groups offer some of the most practical advice on technology and its application. Often, discussions about new technology yield a "eureka" moment in management of some challenging patient presentations.

Communication skills. Communication skills can make or break any relationship. Reviews of professional lawsuits have shown that poor communication skills on the part of care providers are the most common cause for patients to file a lawsuit. Moreover, poor communication contributes to poor patient adherence and outcomes. Learning how to effectively communicate with your patients is one of the most important skills you develop.

Patient care is a privilege. We are granted intimate access to our patients' concerns. With these practices, patient relationships will improve, along with your professional relationships. Each specialty requires its own core skills. All of our professions are unique, but they have these must-haves in common. I am grateful to be able to practice my chosen profession.