NATIONAL SURVEY OF OPTOMETRISTS SHOWS FINANCES AND STAFF AS MAJOR PROBLEMS AFFECTING GROWTH

Portland, OR: Solutions Magazine, published online by Hollander Consultants, has just released a nationwide survey of optometrists that shows staff and financial problems as the main reasons affecting expansion and viability of optometric practices. Nearly three quarters of the doctors surveyed believed those were their most serious problems.

These problems have resulted in time consumption and lost efficiency amongst 41% of respondents while 26% felt it directly affected their bottom line. Twenty two percent believed that it resulted in stress and an overworked environment

In an attempt to solve the problems with staff, eighty four percent of doctors consider they are motivating and creating enthusiasm amongst employees through incentives like good pay, bonuses and incentives.

Most of the doctors surveyed stated they didn't learn enough in graduate school to run a practice and one hundred percent wanted more business courses to be taught in graduate school.

To rectify not gaining an adequate education in school, seventy five percent said they attend seminars, business courses, lectures and other forms of continuing education (CE).

One disturbing figure was that over one quarter of those surveyed forgo all training and practice solely by trial and error.

Optometrists in the United States and Canada were interviewed one-on-one for this survey. A high diversity of optometrists was surveyed that ranged from doctors just starting out to doctors who have practiced for over 40 years. Fifty seven percent of those surveyed are in solo practices. Seventy two percent of those surveyed have less than five staff members

Solutions Magazine regularly conducts surveys of doctors in the optometry, dentistry and veterinary professions for inclusion in the online magazine. Hollander Consultants, publisher of Solutions, has been in business for over 20 years providing business and practice management consulting and employs the administrative technology developed by business management pioneer L. Ron Hubbard.

For more information regarding the results of this survey, contact Matthew Bratschi, 503-227-5404 ext. 1705 at Hollander Consultants in Portland, Oregon. Hollander Consultants and Solutions magazine can be found at the following websites: www.hollanderconsultants.com and www.solutionsmags.com.

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