Embracing and managing AI in the eye care workplace

AI solutions company Visulytix* has developed an eye care analysis tool that is being rolled out to selected institutions around the world – both for clinical use and to support investigational studies. The long-anticipated benefits of AI will surely be a game changer for the screening and care of conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (conditions that, collectively, affect 500 million people worldwide), but how can AI systems be successfully managed? Whilst such systems are likely to attract much fanfare, they must be evaluated quantitatively, as well as for their ability to work'out of the box' and in diverse clinical environments. Eye care professionals such as ophthalmologists and optometrists will be required to embrace the technology and understand, at least at a general level, some of the technical and statistical terms that may be used in product documentation and performance. These include such terminology as sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.