Newcastle University’s AI Assistant raises hopes for best post-cataract surgery care

New Delhi: A recent study led by Newcastle University has demonstrated the efficacy of an AI-powered conversational assistant named Dora in enhancing post-cataract surgery patient care.

This technology, developed through collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust, offers a promising solution to streamline follow-up evaluations and improve patient outcomes.

Dora, an AI-driven automated speech system, is designed to autonomously call patients, ask pertinent follow-up questions, understand their responses, and accurately identify those needing further clinical review. The study, published in the open-access journal eClinicalMedicine of The Lancet, involved over 200 patients who had recently undergone cataract surgery, the most common procedure performed by the NHS.

Three weeks post-surgery, Dora conducted follow-up evaluations, monitored by an ophthalmologist. Researchers compared Dora’s assessments on the clinical relevance of five symptoms and the necessity for additional evaluations with those of the supervising ophthalmologist. The results showed a high degree of concordance between Dora’s decisions and the physicians’ judgments, validating the AI system’s reliability.

Professor Edward Meinert, co-principal investigator and Newcastle University Professor of Digital Health and Clinical AI, led the acceptability assessment. He noted, “The way in which patients responded to the AI system suggests that it may be expanded and used in other clinical paths, potentially saving the NHS time and money. The study assessed the cost impact of Dora in comparison to traditional treatment, as well as its usability and acceptance to patients. The AI follow-up was accepted by the majority of participants, however some expressed worry about the absence of a ‘human element’ in situations with problems.”

Kanmin Xue, co-principal investigator at OUH and honorary consultant ophthalmologist, highlighted, “The Dora system is able to call patients autonomously by telephone and conduct a conversation that gathers the key information needed to determine whether a patient is recovering well or requires further medical assessment. Those that required further clinical input were successfully identified and given a higher priority.”

He added, “Thousands of patients at OUH have had their post-cataract surgery assessments conducted using an updated version of Dora, which was implemented following the trial. We are now using it for pre-operative evaluations as well, in which Dora asks the patient a series of screening questions, one of which is whether or not they want surgery for their cataract. The information is recorded in our electronic health records, which expedites the in-person pre-assessment guided by a nurse. Compared to traditional care, using this telemedicine follow-up examination was projected to have saved each patient about £35 in costs.”

Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley supported the development of Dora, conducted by the Oxford spin-out company Ufonia. CEO Dr. Nick de Pennington remarked, “This research demonstrates unequivocally Dora’s high accuracy in identifying patients who require human clinical input. We are currently extending Dora’s ‘Artificial Clinical Intelligence’ throughout the National Health Service’s and other countries’ eye care pathways. In terms of cost-effectiveness, acceptability, and safety, the system provides a lot of advantages. In addition, it helps hospitals lower their carbon impact, and most significantly, it makes healthcare more accessible to patients.”

The study is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award, underscoring the importance and potential of integrating AI technology into modern healthcare practices.