Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most powerful technologies we’ve ever seen. And it’s one of the easiest tools to start using… so, why isn’t everyone taking advantage of it?
Innovation expert Inbal Rodnay breaks down the barriers by asking optometry practitioners using AI and an AI developer for some practical examples of how this technology can streamline operations, enhance patient care, and transform marketing efforts in practice.
The business of optometry is entering a new era, one in which AI is no longer a bunch of mysterious algorithms locked inside a box, but something we interact with every day to drive our business forward.
But where do you start? Where does AI fit into your workflows? Which tools are the best for your practice? And how can you be sure you’re using them safely?
Streamlining Operations
Let me share a case study from Martin Diep, principal optometrist at See Optometry, Victor Harbor in South Australia. His practice wanted to improve efficiency and free up staff time for patient care, but he wasn’t sure where to start.
That’s where AI came in. By implementing tools for appointment scheduling, inventory management, and billing, Mr Diep’s team reduced its administrative workload by 40%.
What stood out to me was Mr Diep’s proactive approach.
To explore how AI tools could streamline processes, enhance patient care, and improve efficiency, he booked a workshop to dive deeper into AI applications for optometry. As he put it, “We wanted to find out what we didn’t know about AI and how it could transform our practice”.
The workshop helped his team identify quick wins, like using transcription software to streamline meeting notes, automating repetitive tasks with advanced Excel features, and simplifying social media content creation. By focussing on these practical steps, Mr Diep’s practice gained confidence in adopting AI.
“After the session, we realised how underutilised some of our tools were and how much potential we had to improve efficiency,” he shared.
By implementing tools for appointment scheduling, inventory management, and billing, Mr Diep’s team reduced their administrative workload by 40%
Enhancing Patient Communication
Beyond streamlining operations, AI is proving invaluable in enhancing communication with both patients and other healthcare providers. Jing Chen, an optometrist and co-founder of WorkRex and Locum.ly in Melbourne, shared how she uses ChatGPT to significantly improve her workflow.
“I use AI a lot to help summarise huge parts of information,” Ms Chen explained. “For example, I find myself using it the most to help generate summary reports or referral letters. By inputting de-identified clinical findings into ChatGPT and using carefully crafted prompts, I can quickly generate comprehensive and professional reports for GPs, endocrinologists, and ophthalmologists. This approach ensures patient confidentiality is maintained while significantly reducing the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing for more focus on patient care.”
Ms Chen said ChatGPT can shave off an incredible 70% of the time it would normally take to write a referral. This allows her to “spend more time seeing patients” and provides a more efficient way to communicate with other healthcare professionals.
In addition to referrals, she leverages ChatGPT to create patient handouts. “It’s hard for patients to remember everything discussed during a consultation,” she acknowledged. “ChatGPT has been really good at generating summaries of conditions and treatments that I can print out and hand to them.”
Her approach highlights the potential of AI to not only save time but also enhance the quality of patient care through improved communication and information sharing.
Reducing Administration with AI Medical Scribes
Darren Ross, Chief Executive Officer of the clinical notetaking app Patient Notes, said AI tools like his are now benefiting eye health practices by automating the documentation process, “allowing optometrists to focus more on patient care rather than manual record keeping”.
“AI tools like Patient Notes help in structuring and standardising clinical notes, such as visual acuity measurements, lens prescriptions, dispensing protocols, and examination results, which can enhance the consistency and quality of patient records,” he said.
Patient Notes uses speech recognition to transcribe consultations, which reduces the time spent on manual documentation. “Optometrists can capture the audio of a consultation, and Patient Notes automatically converts it to structured clinical notes,” Mr Ross explained. “This includes details about lens prescriptions or eye health findings without requiring manual data entry, making it easier to generate patient summaries and referral letters quickly and accurately.”
AI helps optometrists access historical patient information quickly, analyse trends, and make informed decisions… it’s an assistive tool
Enhancing Patient Interactions
Of course, AI doesn’t replace clinical reasoning, but it does enhance it. As Mr Ross points out, its capacity to organise patient data efficiently supports clinical reasoning.
“AI helps optometrists access historical patient information quickly, analyse trends, and make informed decisions… it’s an assistive tool. Clinicians should always review the notes as they are your final medical records.”
By automating administrative tasks, optometrists are also able to spend more time with patients, leading to better consultations and more personalised care. “By minimising administrative burdens,” said Mr Ross, “optometrists have more time to focus on patient care, build their business and networks, and offer more thorough consultations.”
Customising AI for Optometry
To meet the unique needs and workflows of optometry, it’s important that the AI tools you use can be customised.
“We have a long list of optometry-specific prompts in our library, and practitioners can customise them to match their workflow,” explained Mr Ross. “You can modify clinical notes and letter templates exactly to your needs, including eye exams, follow-up plans, and treatment documentation.”
For new users, the system is designed to be user friendly. “Our inbuilt prompt builder helps users create customised prompts in less than 30 seconds. It’s simple to adapt prompts over time, allowing for continuous improvements in data collection and documentation.”
Privacy, Compliance, and Security
Of course, adopting AI comes with its own set of challenges. Data privacy and security are major concerns, but they are not insurmountable. Optometry businesses can overcome these issues with these key strategies:
- Ensure the AI tools you use for clinical notetaking comply with privacy regulations like the Privacy Principles of Australia or New Zealand, by using encryption, secure data storage, and other safeguards to protect sensitive information.
- Establish a robust AI policy that defines boundaries for AI use and data handling, including patient consent procedures and compliance with healthcare regulations.
- Implement multi-factor authentication and encryption tools to protect sensitive information.
In the case of Patient Notes, Mr Ross said, “All session data is automatically deleted within 30 days, but manual session deletion can also be done at any time if a user wishes to remove data earlier”.
Transforming Marketing at Lifestyle Optical
For Lifestyle Optical, a large stockist of luxury eyewear in Sydney’s CBD, understanding the unique personas of each brand’s audience has always been critical. Each brand has its own dedicated following, but the real challenge lies in engaging these loyalists online and converting that engagement into in-store sales. Enter AI.
Carly McClen, who works as my digital marketing lead, teamed up with Lifestyle Optical to integrate AI into the practice’s digital marketing campaigns, enabling the business to connect with their target audience on a deeper, more personalised level.
“We knew we had to personalise our digital marketing, but we needed the right tools and to utilise our existing platforms more effectively,” said Laura Reale, optometrist and co-owner of Lifestyle Optical. “That’s where Carly and AI came in. The results have far exceeded our expectations.”
AI-Driven Strategies Making the Difference
Under Ms McClen’s guidance, Lifestyle Optical adopted the following cutting-edge AI tools and strategies to refine every aspect of their marketing approach:
Customer Segmentation and Personalisation: AI-powered algorithms were used to analyse vast amounts of customer data, creating detailed audience segments based on demographics, behaviour, interests, and purchase history. This helped to reach specific audience groups relative to individual brands, enhancing engagement and relevance.
Predictive Analytics: AI tools were used to predict customer behaviours and preferences, anticipating actions such as clicks, and proactively targeting high-value segments with precise and timely ads, resulting in increased click through rates.
Dynamic Content Optimisation: Using AI, Lifestyle Optical personalised ad content in real time, adjusting visuals, copy, and calls-to-action based on individual user behaviour. This approach significantly improved conversion rates.
AI-Powered Advertising: Automated ad buying through AI ensured that ads reached the right audience at the right time across platforms. This optimisation improved campaign performance and maximised return on investment.
Cross-Channel Personalisation: AI created a cohesive brand experience by personalising content across multiple touchpoints, including social media and email. This consistency strengthened customer relationships and reinforced messaging.
Real-World Results
The results were transformative, with major events like Cartier, Tom Ford, and Moscot design days achieving unprecedented sales growth:
Cartier Design Day: A +225% increase in units sold compared to the previous year.
Tom Ford Design Day: A +258% increase in units sold compared to the previous year.
Moscot Design Day: A +188% increase in units sold compared to the previous year.
Marie Carruthers of Sunshades Eyewear, which supplies Cartier frames to Lifestyle Optical, said the AI-driven strategy to promote the Cartier Design Day “attracted a diverse group of buyers, exceeding our initial expectations… The demographics of these customers were surprising – they weren’t who I initially anticipated – and they came ready to purchase. It was exciting to see how well the campaign resonated and drove in-store conversions.”
The impact of AI extends far beyond event performance. Year-on-year, Lifestyle Optical has experienced:
- A +180% rise in email click-through rates, enhancing the effectiveness of email campaigns.
- A dramatic increase of 1,853.85% in social media reach, so that content is being seen by a far greater audience.
- A massive jump of 4,185.71% in link clicks, indicating a significant improvement in how effectively the content drives traffic to the desired destinations.
“We’ve seen a noticeable shift in customer behaviour,” Ms Reale revealed. “Now, customers come into the store asking where specific brands are – not if we carry them – and they come in ready to buy.”
Customer Engagement
The Lifestyle Optical team continues to use AI to analyse customer personas in depth, uncovering increasingly useful insights that inform more impactful messaging. By using it to assist in researching each brand’s specific audience, they’re able to craft tailored messages, and deliver content to the right people at the right time.
“We’ve been thrilled with how AI has helped us reach our target market,” Ms Reale explained. “It’s like having a rocket ship that propels us straight to the heart of both existing and new customers. Carly’s expertise in AI has taken our marketing to new heights.”
the keys to success will be thoughtful adoption, smart integration, and prioritising patient outcomes
An Eye Toward the Future
Optometry practices now have an opportunity to transform their operations and patient relationships, with AI making it easier than ever before. However, as we continue to explore the endless possibilities of AI, the keys to success will be thoughtful adoption, smart integration, and prioritising patient outcomes. Plus, as Darren Ross points out, “data security at the forefront of every decision”.
Inbal Rodnay is a recognised leader in innovation with a focus on the practical application of AI in professional services. A corporate speaker and educator since 2017, she has presented to over 30,000 people, breaking down technical topics into practical examples that are highly relatable to a professional audience.
Visit inbal.com.au/optom to register to attend her free webinar and/or receive her weekly video update.
