AI-Enabled Digital Health

Evaluating autonomous telemedicine for cataract surgery follow-up 

Ageing populations increase demand for many healthcare services, which can exceed the capacity of the clinical workforce, causing longer waits and staff burnout. Digital technology has the potential to help automate routine tasks, freeing up healthcare professionals to work on higher-skill tasks and spend more time on meaningful patient interactions. One example of this is cataract surgery, the UK’s most common operation. Although few patients experience complications, many Trusts still require face-to-face postoperative follow-up assessments. This creates additional pressure on healthcare services and inconvenience for patients, while not resulting in care changes for the majority of patients. 

Our lab co-led a project with Ufonia Ltd., funded by the NIHR AI in Health and Care Award. We investigated whether an autonomous conversational agent, delivered via telephone, could safely and accurately perform a post-cataract surgery follow-up assessment in two NHS Trusts and detect patients in need of further review. The performance of the conversational agent (Dora, version R1) was compared to ophthalmic specialists. Our analysis found good preliminary evidence of Dora’s safety and accuracy. It was also generally considered easy to use and acceptable, but highlighted the importance of maintaining a ‘human element’ in the follow-up process, particularly for patients with concerns or complications. 

Relevant publications: