Practice Management
Spring 2025

by William Rabourn Jr.

Over the past several years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been the subject of much speculation surrounding how it might be used to help diagnose and treat various conditions in ophthalmology. Although there are many exciting possibilities, something that hasn’t gained as much attention is how AI might be used to reshape the business side of running a practice.

There are many possible uses of AI technology that can help maximize practice operations to provide an even stronger foundation for quality patient care. These AI technologies generally fall into three broad categories: data analysis, administrative support, and communication enhancements. Here’s a closer look at how these applications could be used to reshape practices in the future.

Smarter data analysis for better decision making

“Much confusion and sometimes fear surrounds the use of the term AI, but a number of new technologies available now can use machine learning to help doctors be more efficient and take better care of their patients.”

John Hovanesian, MD, chair of the ASCRS Digital Clinical Committee

The ability of AI to gather and analyze large amounts of data can help practice owners and administrators gain insights and make better informed decisions. This is especially true when tracking or developing key performance indicators (KPIs). For example, AI could monitor metrics such as patient satisfaction, revenue per patient, or staff productivity to identify trends or areas of improvement. It can then forecast future trends and outcomes to provide decision makers with important information to develop new KPIs and identify new areas of opportunity that were previously unrecognized.

Another way AI can assist the practice is with financial administration. Instead of manually sifting through insurance claims, patient billing, and financial statements, AI-powered tools can extract and analyze information to reduce errors associated with manual data entry for accountants. Additionally, AI can enhance revenue cycle management by reviewing claims for accuracy before submission, helping practices avoid costly denials and delays in addition to many other possible uses in this area. Predictive financial modeling can also offer a clearer picture of profitability, enabling practices to optimize costs and forecast revenue with greater accuracy.

Streamlining administrative tasks

Administrative tasks can take up a significant portion of a clinic’s time and resources, often pulling staff away from patient care. AI-driven tools can help automate and simplify many of these processes, allowing teams to focus more on their patients.

One of the most time-consuming jobs at any practice is patient scheduling. An intelligent AI system could book patient appointments by calculating the time each visit should take based on their medical needs and treatment complexity. Using this information, it could then efficiently book appointments around a doctor’s availability. This more precise scheduling lowers wait times without sacrificing doctor/patient interaction.

In addition, AI scheduling tools can send automated appointment reminders to reduce no-shows and eliminate manual calling by staff. AI could analyze patient flow over any given period of time and adjust staff schedules to meet changing demand and prevent overbooking or underutilization of practice resources.

Another area where AI could be useful is inventory management. These types of systems are already being used in other industries, but how would they work for an ophthalmic practice?

One way is through real-time stock management. Using an AI system, staff would be able to immediately know when certain items are running low. This type of system could then be configured to either alert staff or automatically reorder items that are at critical levels. As with other types of AI, predictive analytics can also monitor use over time to forecast when certain items are in demand, then plan an order schedule that will prevent over- or understocking. It can even be used to keep track of the expiration dates on some items to ensure compliance with health regulations.

Being able to monitor and track every aspect of inventory can provide a more timely and precise ordering of supplies that will optimize stock levels and free up funds for use elsewhere in the practice.

Enhancing communication for patients and staff

The use of AI chatbots on websites or over the phone is already being widely used in business. The applications for ophthalmic clinics are much the same as in other industries. These chatbots can assist patients with scheduling, answer common questions, and recommend educational resources on the practice website based on the patient’s condition.

Moving beyond chatbots, AI is now being tested in some ophthalmic practices to function as the scribe during an examination or consultation with a patient. It works by having a trained ophthalmic AI program listen to the conversation in real time, analyzing what is said, and updating the patient’s EMR with the appropriate information. The system then provides a written summary of the visit with key points highlighted for the doctor to review and modify before it is finalized. By taking care of these important tasks, AI allows doctors to focus more on patient care instead of having his or her attention divided by taking notes.

AI can also assist with internal staff communication. Some larger practices are testing it to help write various types of policies and ensure seamless communication across departments. Automated AI systems can send messages, share updates, and direct information to the right people or teams based on their specific role(s). This keeps everyone in the loop and ensures communications are clear and efficient.

Final thoughts

AI is a groundbreaking technology with the potential to transform how ophthalmic practices operate. The above examples highlight just a fraction of what is possible. However, it’s important to remember that AI is meant to support and improve operational efficiencies and patient care, not replace the essential roles and oversight of doctors and staff. There are certainly challenges to overcome, like integrating AI with existing systems, training staff, addressing data privacy concerns, and making sure it complies with regulations that haven’t yet caught up with AI technology.

All of these factors need careful thought before AI can be smoothly introduced into the work environment. Still, despite these hurdles, the development of AI tools will continue, ultimately helping ophthalmic practices run more efficiently.

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About the author

William Rabourn Jr.
Managing Principal
Medical Consulting Group
Springfield, Missouri

Contact

Rabourn: brabourn@medcgroup.com