Artificial intelligence has been declared as the antidote to challenges such as inflationary pressures, staffing shortages, increasingly price-conscious patients, and limited time to manage a practice. So why haven’t we felt the relief?
When speaking to practice owners, I hear the same sentiment: We know we should be using AI to improve efficiency, serve patients, and streamline operations. But aside from dabbling with tools such as ChatGPT or Copilot, we’re struggling to make it work effectively.
Our team has spent thousands of hours testing AI to uncover meaningful applications for eye care practices. While not every experiment has succeeded, some solutions have proven transformative. For example, AI systems can analyze calls to boost phone capture rates by 15–25%,1 or dynamically allocate ad spend based on doctor availability 72 hours out. But many of these tools require time and effort to implement. What about solutions that are simple, practical, and immediately impactful? Let’s explore two AI “employees” you can “hire” today to start transforming your practice.
Simplify Your Mindset: Hire and Train AI ‘Employees’
To effectively integrate AI, think of it as hiring specialized employees trained to perform specific jobs exceptionally well. This mindset demystifies AI and helps practices deploy it strategically. Here are two AI “hires” you can make immediately — each costing only a few dollars a day while delivering significant ROI.
Introducing “Genie” and “Joy,” your two arbitrarily named AI “hires” created by prompting AI tools.
Hire Genie: Your Staff’s Knowledge Assistant
Tools such as ChatGPT Custom GPT2 or Notion AI allow you to build a Genie by uploading key documents such as staff manuals, vendor materials, and real-time FAQs. Genie is here to solve a universal problem: interruptions from “got a minute?” questions. Senior staff — often your most experienced team members — can spend hours answering repetitive inquiries, leading to burnout and frustration. This dynamic contributes to a negative workplace culture over time.
Enter Genie, your AI-powered knowledge assistant. Genie can respond to staff questions such as:
- “What’s our holiday schedule?”
- “How do I process a patient referral?”
- “Who is our contact at [vendor]?”
Imagine Genie acting as a digital repository of institutional knowledge, readily accessible 24/7. It doesn’t tire, forget, or become frustrated. Every answer it provides is consistent, reliable, and aligned with your practice’s protocols.
Sample Prompt for Genie Setup: “You are a knowledge assistant for [Practice Name]. Your job is to answer employee questions based on the uploaded documents. If you’re unsure, don’t guess — direct the user to the relevant manager and add their response to your database for future use.”
Getting Started with Genie
- Define Genie’s Role: Incorporate your practice vision and values into its configuration.
- Guard Against Errors: Add prompts to prevent guessing and encourage learning from user input.
- Update Regularly: Continuously add new information to Genie’s database to ensure its effectiveness.
By reducing interruptions, Genie frees senior staff for strategic tasks such as improving patient care or optimizing workflows. For employees, it ensures they can serve patients confidently and efficiently. This shift can enhance morale, foster collaboration, and improve overall productivity.
Hire Joy: AI to Analyze Patient Sentiment
Patient sentiment plays a critical role in loyalty and advocacy.3 Yet, most practices fail to analyze the wealth of feedback they already collect through patient reviews. Enter Joy, your AI-driven patient experience analyst.
Joy leverages tools such as ChatGPT or Claude.ai1 to mine patient reviews for actionable insights. Sample prompts for Joy include:
- “What are the top positive and negative trends in our reviews over the past three months?” (This requires some progressive prompting.)
- “Identify areas for improvement and provide specific quotes from patient feedback.”
- “Compare sentiment across all practice locations and suggest cross-training opportunities.”
- “Which staff member is mentioned most often in reviews and in what context?”
Joy doesn’t just analyze feedback — it offers actionable insights. For example, Joy can identify rising trends in negative sentiment, allowing you to address issues before they escalate. It can highlight standout staff members mentioned positively in reviews, enabling you to recognize and celebrate their contributions.
Enhance Engagement with Timely Responses
In addition to analysis, Joy can generate HIPAA-compliant review responses, ensuring your practice addresses feedback within 24 hours. Timely responses demonstrate attentiveness and build trust, enhancing patient satisfaction and your online reputation.
Joy doesn’t just surface insights; it helps staff address concerns, amplify successes, and foster long-term loyalty.
AI-Driven Patient Engagement: Building Loyalty and Revenue
Beyond operational efficiency, AI is revolutionizing patient engagement, a critical driver of loyalty and revenue. Studies show that positive patient experiences directly impact retention and referrals.4 Tools such as Joy enable your practice to stay connected with patients by addressing feedback promptly and celebrating positive trends. These efforts translate into a culture of continuous improvement that resonates with patients.
With AI tools, you can deepen your understanding of patient needs, resolve issues proactively, and create memorable experiences that drive advocacy. Patient engagement isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a proven pathway to higher revenue and practice growth.
Why Now is the Time to Embrace AI
AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s a practical tool with immediate applications for eye care practices. Tools such as Genie and Joy demonstrate that impactful AI doesn’t require complex setups or massive budgets. Instead, it starts with small, focused steps that amplify your team’s capabilities.
As the saying goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” By hiring your AI employees today, you’re investing in a more efficient, patient-centered, and profitable future.
References
- AssemblyAI: Call Analytics with AI. https://assemblyai.com
- ChatGPT Custom GPT for Businesses. OpenAI. https://openai.com
- The Impact of Patient Sentiment Analysis on Healthcare. KANINI. https://kanini.com
- The Role of Positive Patient Experience in Practice Growth. Physicians Practice. https://physicianspractice.com
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