The Power of a TEAM Approach to the Patient Journey | E248

·16 min·1 clip

Dr. Lillie reveals how a simple office meeting transformed his team's understanding of the five-step patient journey.

Host Dr. Nick Lillie opens by stating the episode will cover the patient journey and staff impact, promising it's worth a re-listen. He then shares a personal anecdote about taking a week off for the first time since his honeymoon, attributing this ability to having good systems and a trusted associate whose revenue per patient now matches his. Dr. Lillie outlines the five-step patient journey in his practice: making an appointment, getting the exam, purchasing, going to optical for glasses/contacts, and recall. He notes his practice has become siloed due to growth, with eight staff members plus an associate, over half of whom are new within six months. The core of the episode describes a team meeting focused on three core values: quality, timeliness, and team mentality. Staff from all roles—front desk, techs, opticians, doctors, and virtual assistants—were present. They walked through each step of the journey, identifying where information breakdowns occurred. For example, doctors realized they needed more pre-exam information from staff, and opticians pointed out that patients were confused about dry eye treatments, thinking they had to do everything recommended rather than choosing one. The discussion extended to the ordering process, where virtual assistants revealed they often lacked correct frame color codes or timely scans because they feared speaking up. Dr. Lillie emphasizes that the meeting helped everyone see how their actions impacted coworkers and patients downstream. He states it was one of their best meetings and something he will revisit. The episode concludes with a closing thought: success depends on making good decisions, but happiness depends on not caring about the outcomes. Dr. Lillie signs off, noting he is on vacation in Florida.

As heard by us

A practical, candid review of how clearer handoffs can strengthen teamwork across an optometry office.

The episode frames the patient journey as a shared operating problem for the whole office, not just a matter of individual performance. The host looks at how doctors, front-desk staff, and opticians can lose time or clarity at handoffs, then grounds the point in everyday…

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Why you'd press play

Want your office team to stop guessing what the next person needs? Press play here.

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