Ophthalmology practices have no shortage of challenges this year. Tightening margins, growing surgical demand, and increasing administrative and regulatory complexity are all adding pressure.

However, some practices are navigating the growing pressure with far less friction than others. The Vision Council’s Provider inSights Q3–Q4 2025 report found that many practices reported stronger revenue and patient retention compared to the first half of 2025. While some practices feel increasingly burnt out and struggle to boost profitability, others are increasing revenue, expanding their businesses, and efficiently navigating new challenges.

So, what sets the struggling practice apart from the thriving one?

Contrary to what many believe, it’s not always the result of working longer days or adding more staff—It’s about optimizing processes across every aspect of the practice. Keep reading to discover what high-performing ophthalmology practices are doing differently in 2026.

They’ve Moved Beyond Outdated Workflows

Many practices are still:

• Entering data across multiple systems for exams, optical orders, surgery, and billing
• Constantly following up on denied claims or delayed patient payments 
• Managing optical inventory and fulfillment by hand
• Juggling nonstop phone calls from confused or frustrated patients
• Adopting workarounds to make up for the gaps in their EHR, Practice Management system, and other technology.

These processes are error-prone, hard to scale, and major contributors to burnout. With over one-third of ophthalmologists reporting burnout, reducing administrative burden isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s one of the biggest opportunities for improvement today.

High-performing practices are eliminating repetitive tasks through automation, freeing up time for higher-value work. They’re also prioritizing ongoing feedback and real-time visibility into practice performance to guide continuous improvement instead of guesswork.

Instead of reacting to problems, they’re preventing them by:

• Connecting key workflows in one EHR and practice management system
• Standardizing handoffs between technicians, diagnostics, and providers to ensure a consistent and seamless patient experience
• Modernizing the patient journey with easy scheduling, transparent communication, and digital-friendly payment options
• Capturing patient feedback post-appointment and acting on what they hear
• Catching billing issues early with claim scrubbing and automated eligibility checks
• Automating optical inventory and fulfillment workflows to reduce errors, delays, and manual tracking
• Reviewing real-time dashboards that help flag gaps before they become costly issues
• Identifying staff training and technology needs through continuous feedback loops

The result is a practice that runs more smoothly, delivers a better patient experience, and scales without overwhelming its team.

They’ve Perfected the Flow of the Exam

Ophthalmology practices are in constant pursuit of a more efficient exam workflow. From imaging to documentation, every minute matters.

Frictions such as extra clicks, duplicate data entry, and screen switching limit your practice’s ability to see more patients. High-performing practices understand that speeding up exams doesn't mean rushing care but rather removing friction so that providers and technicians can focus on the patient.

They standardize and streamline wherever possible with:

• Technician workups that follow consistent, repeatable workflows
• Specialty-specific templates that reduce unnecessary data entry
• One-screen documentation that happens seamlessly during the exam
• Integrated imaging and easily accessible historical exam data

Most importantly, they use technology that supports how an ophthalmology exam works, not a generic EHR that forces workarounds. Over the course of the day, exam efficiency enables teams to see more patients while maintaining high-quality care.

They Rely on Connected Ophthalmology Tools

Too many disconnected tools create chaos and system switching.

When scheduling, clinical documentation, billing, and payments live in separate systems:

• Errors increase
• Revenue slows down
• Staff must toggle between systems and enter the same information multiple times

Efficient practices are moving toward more connected technology that unifies workflows across the entire patient journey.

That means:

• Scheduling → exam → surgery → billing → payment all working together
• Fewer handoffs, fewer errors, and faster processes
• A clearer picture of financial health and the patient journey

 Even the best tools can create friction if they don’t work together.

They Don't Treat MIPS Like a Once-a-Year Fire Drill

MIPS isn't going away, but the way practices approach it is changing. Lower performing practices:

• Scramble near the submission deadline
• Rely on manual data entry
• Hope everything is accurate throughout the year

High-scoring ophthalmology practices:

• Build reporting into their daily workflows
• Use automation and templates to reduce errors
• Create a culture of ongoing compliance
• Analyze performance throughout the year
• Strategically select quality measures
• Stay knowledgeable on the latest requirements

They treat compliance as a continuous process, not a once-a-year fire drill—ultimately leading to more consistent performance and higher reimbursements.

Quick Tip: Download Sightview’s MIPS 2026 Toolkit, built to help your practice stay ahead of deadlines, avoid penalties, and simplify planning and reporting.

They Prioritize Patient and Staff Experience

A mindset shift from “this is how we’ve always done it” to “how can we continuously improve?” can put your practice on the fast track to growth.

High-performing teams stay open to change, especially when it comes to improving the patient and staff experience. Today, experience directly impacts growth, retention, and performance.

Forward-thinking teams ask:

• Where are patients getting frustrated?
• Where are staff getting overwhelmed?
• What can we simplify or improve?

On the patient side, happy patients come back, leave positive reviews, and refer others. When it comes to staff, ophthalmology practices can’t afford burnout or turnover in today’s tough talent market.

It may seem simple, but many busy practices forget to regularly collect feedback and look for ways to reduce friction. Making positive changes for patients and staff supports long-term stability.

The Bottom Line for Ophthalmology Teams

The practices pulling ahead in 2026 aren’t necessarily working harder. The secret to their success is working more intentionally. They’re rethinking outdated processes, embracing more connected technology, and staying open to change.

Sightview's purpose-built ophthalmology EHR and practice management system is designed to support the full scope of eye care operations. With the right technology and expert support in place, it becomes easier to move your practice forward.

Curious what that could look like in your practice? Book a demo to learn more.