Artificial Intelligence (AI), a term that has invaded every part of our lives in recent years—including optometry. Generative AI is a way for the public to easily obtain quick and accurate information and has slowly been finding its way into other sectors of the world, even healthcare.
Most healthcare-related AI tech that has optometric/ophthalmic relevance so far has been mostly related to retinal screenings; for example using AI to oversee retinal imaging for diabetic eye exams. In addition to screening, AI can also be used to confirm appointments, handle routine patient questions, or even perform as ambient scribes that can chart for us.1
Concerns about the risks of AI in clinical settings are real, but for most optometrists, the question has shifted from whether AI belongs in our exam rooms to where it can deliver the most value with the least amount of disruption.
Mapping the contact lens workflow
The clearest place to see how AI can improve efficiency is in a workflow most optometrists run multiple times a day—the contact lens visit. A single patient travels from front desk check-in to technician workup to the doctor's chair for fitting, then through a trial period and follow-up before a fresh (hopefully clear) new prescription is finalized.
Every transition between these steps is an opportunity for friction such as a call back never returned, a struggling contact lens wearer who stops using the lenses, and missed follow-ups.
Where AI can add immediate value
Each of the abovementioned gaps can have an AI solution:
- An unreturned callback can be avoided with an AI-driven chatbot that can answer simple questions, if the question is complicated, AI can even summarize the patient's concerns for a member of the office staff to reduce miscommunication.
- Struggling wearers can be caught ahead of time with scheduled symptom tracking texts that are scheduled at 1 or 2 week points after initial visit.
- Lastly, missed follow-ups can be addressed as follows:
- When a patient misses a follow-up an automated text can be pushed for rescheduling.
- This scenario can be avoided in the first place with automated reminders sent 24 to 48 hours in advance to dramatically reduce no-shows in the first place.
As clinicians, we have to accept that life happens for patients but AI can help manage those situations.
Reducing reorder issues
Beyond the chair, AI can also help to lighten the operational load on both ends of the visit—before contact lenses go out the door and after the patient's appointment ends. On the inventory side, AI tools can analyze a patient's individual wear schedule and reorder history to predict when they will run out of lenses, prompting a reorder before the patient misses the prescription deadline.
Automated reminders can be paired with direct-to-patient shipping platforms so the lenses arrive at the door without a phone call, a follow-up email, or a trip back to the office. For the practice, the result may be smoother continuity of care and fewer patients falling out of lens wear over something as avoidable as a missed reorder.2
Demystifying documentation
On the administrative side, AI is making real progress in reducing documentation burden for doctors. Voice-to-text scribes can listen carefully during the exam and create a chart note helping to reduce time spent charting.
Skriber
An example of one of these apps is Skriber; this app is specifically tailored to physicians to be able to freely dictate our notes. This app can support live recordings as well as file uploads and also encrypts all recordings for HIPAA compliance needs.3
AI-powered devices also exist in physical form; one example is Pocket, a standalone device that can also attach directly to the back of your phone. The device can also go completely off-line so it can be used in compliance with HIPAA standards as well.4
Overall these tools can benefit the doctor which creates more time to listen and care for the patient.
Quantifying the impact of AI on practice profitability
The return on investment of AI adoption into your contact lens workflow can be measured in a few different ways:
- Dropout rate: An AI tool can be loaded with a questionnaire like the Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 (CLDEQ-8) and may use it to check in with patients about their contact lens experience, surfacing the ones who are struggling before they drop out.5
- Staff time: Automated recall, reducing missed follow-ups, and chatbots to answer simple questions so your front desk can become more efficient.6
- Contact lens ordering rate: Predictive ordering and tools that can keep reorders in the practice and let patients stay proactive with their supply needs.7
- Charting time: Having AI powered scribing to help expand doctor’s time and increase patient volume for the practice such as Skriber or Pocket.
AI implementation considerations
Implementing AI into a practice can sound complicated but the results could improve the patient experience and office efficiency. As we have all experienced at some point, automating everything can feel impersonal, so being careful to not place it in every aspect of your practice is crucial.
Beyond the patient experience, it is also important to confirm that policies are in place so models are handling data according to HIPAA standards. Your front desk staff and technicians also need to be given ample time to train on these tools for maximum efficiency.
Finally, being careful to only use AI recommendations for supportive needs and not as a replacement for clinical judgment remains essential throughout the process.
5 key takeaways
- AI will not take over your contact lens workflow but it will help to fill the gaps that naturally occur in an advanced multistep process such as this.
- Efficiency is important but HIPAA compliance needs to be considered to maintain clinical standards.
- Staff/Technician training is equally as important as obtaining the technology. They are your team and their confidence in using it will make or break your implementation.
- AI is here to stay and we should accept it as a tool to help us provide better care with patients that trust us for their eye care needs.
- Patient experience still needs to be considered. Creating a balance between applying automation for simple tasks and knowing when to loop in a human touch.
Conclusion
Many people remain concerned that AI will make entire professions and people obsolete. While AI is highly efficient at mitigating the problems we face in practice and clearing away the inefficiencies that surround clinical care, it absolutely cannot replace the personal touch that only a human can deliver.
Ultimately, practices that are able to adopt AI into their contact lens workflow, as well as their practice in general, will be the ones to create efficient, patient-centric care.
