ONLINE EXCLUSIVE
ASCRS News
April 2024
In “Navigating Real-World Obstacles to Digital Transformation in Your Practice,” a session sponsored by the Digital Clinical Committee during the 2024 ASCRS Annual Meeting, one presentation focused on an up-and-coming training tool—Alchemy Vision—that seeks to achieve several goals:
- Educate new and existing staff
- Attract talent
- Motivate and inspire
- Enhance engagement and job satisfaction
- Improve staff retention and loyalty
- Improve patient care
- Elevate morale and practice culture
Mitch Shultz, MD, CMO of Alchemy Vision, described how this technology could leverage and build a better team by creating a structure that provides them with the right resources.
Alchemy Vision, according to the company’s website, is a “digital training program [that] streamlines new hire onboarding and supports ongoing education that accommodates each employee’s role and experience level.” It includes more than 200 video modules taught by doctors and subject-matter experts on topics including ocular anatomy, disease states, exams, diagnostic equipment operation, people skills, and more. The system includes assignments and final exams that can measure team progress and is customizable in terms of learning paths and direction.
Going forward, Dr. Shultz said Alchemy Vision is building a proprietary Large Language Model (LLM) designed to reinforce skills being taught by Alchemy and capture and analyze learning data and metrics. “[It will be] another way for eyecare staff to be engaged and advance in their education process,” he said.
He shared data that 68% of more than 500 ophthalmology employees in a survey want to move up in their career, but only 38% feel content with their training, 44% feel engaged in their work, and 54% feel valued at their practice.
Investing in training with programs like Alchemy, which don’t rely on other staff members’ time, can help, Dr. Shultz said.
On the panel in the session, Eric Rosenberg, DO, emphasized the importance of training. “I treat our staff like they’re my junior residents. I want them to be educated to the same capacity, and I never want them to do something that I’m not willing to do. These technologies are going to augment this training in staff members, which will give them incentive to want to continue learning.”
Robert Weinstock, MD, said that resources like Alchemy are great for new hires who don’t have a background in ophthalmology, and he thinks that you’ll get higher staff retention if you can train them and show them the curriculum and advancement pathway that goes along with it.
“They see this ladder and career path for themselves. What really kills your practice is not having enough staff, it’s the attrition,” he said.
Relevant disclosures
Rosenberg: None
Shultz: Alchemy Vision
Weinstock: None
Contact
Rosenberg: ericr29@gmail.com
Shultz: izapeyes@adam-botwinickgmail.com
Weinstock: rjweinstock@yahoo.com
