For too long, eyecare industry boardrooms and doctors’ offices alike have been enamored with the “what” and the “how” of technology while remaining dangerously disconnected from the “why” of the clinical workflow. For an AI tool to really resonate with eyecare providers, those in charge need to better understand the customer’s reality.
ECPs Want Partners
In the AI era, the provider’s greatest pain point is the “silo.” When technology doesn’t play well with others, such as EHRs, third-party imaging or competing billing platforms, it creates a serious problem for users. The market is moving toward fluid interoperability. If AI requires a proprietary lock-in to function, it isn’t providing a solution; it’s providing a burden.
Help Practices Survive Through Sales
We know the AI is accurate, given that it has valid and voluminous data. We know the sensitivity and specificity numbers are world-class. But in a high-interest, low-margin economy, a clinic doesn’t buy science—it buys survival through sales.
An upcoming series and guide to AI adoption in eyecare practices will model the impact of this technology on the clinic’s actual “bread and butter.” Here are some metrics that can really make a difference for practitioners that manufacturers should be thinking about:
- Revenue Per Minute (RPM): Does this AI tool identify high-value clinical opportunities that justify its. Is it an asset that creates income, or is it another expense?
- Cost Per Minute (CPM): Does this AI lower the operational cost of a diagnostic encounter, or does it add a new layer of technician labor?
- Throughput: Does it move a patient through the lane faster, or are we asking the doctor to spend three more minutes on a task that already eats up their time?
Is Our ‘Disruption’ Actually Just ‘Disturbance’?
It isn’t uncommon for technology users to feel like they should “evolve” to meet the technology. In eyecare, that is a recipe for failure. When implementing a new tool, a practitioner shouldn’t have to “radically rework” their accepted workflow. Anything that disrupts the natural order of things, whether that’s how a doctor communicates, I moves through the office or documents their day, isn’t likely to stick around long-term.
The Reality Check
Eyecare providers are under immense competitive pressure and many of us are becoming clinical economists. We are evaluating technology from three perspectives. If it doesn’t improve at least two of the following: quality of care, efficiency of care or revenue, then it likely isn’t worth it.
When implementing AI, practitioners care less about how “cool” AI is, and more about if it solves the fundamental problem of practice profitability.
It’s time to stop asking if the tech works and start asking if it pays!
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