Optometrists' Perspectives Regarding Artificial Intelligence Aids and Contributing Retinal Images to a Repository: Web-Based Interview Study

A repository of retinal images for research is being established in Scotland. It will permit researchers to validate, tune, and refine artificial intelligence (AI) decision-support algorithms to accelerate safe deployment in Scottish optometry and beyond. Research demonstrates the potential of AI sy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:JMIR human factors Vol. 10; p. e40887
Main Authors: Constantin, Aurora, Atkinson, Malcolm, Bernabeu, Miguel Oscar, Buckmaster, Fiona, Dhillon, Baljean, McTrusty, Alice, Strang, Niall, Williams, Robin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Canada JMIR Publications 25.05.2023
Subjects:
Artificial intelligence
Collaboration
Eye diseases
Interviews
Macular degeneration
Medical personnel
Ophthalmology
Optometry
Original Paper
Rural areas
Urban areas
Workloads
United Kingdom > UK
Scotland
digital
medical
AI decision support tools
AI in optometry
user studies
AI
digital tool
repository of ocular images
decision support
perspectives of optometrists and ophthalmologists
research
tool
ISSN:2292-9495, 2292-9495
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:A repository of retinal images for research is being established in Scotland. It will permit researchers to validate, tune, and refine artificial intelligence (AI) decision-support algorithms to accelerate safe deployment in Scottish optometry and beyond. Research demonstrates the potential of AI systems in optometry and ophthalmology, though they are not yet widely adopted. In this study, 18 optometrists were interviewed to (1) identify their expectations and concerns about the national image research repository and their use of AI decision support and (2) gather their suggestions for improving eye health care. The goal was to clarify attitudes among optometrists delivering primary eye care with respect to contributing their patients' images and to using AI assistance. These attitudes are less well studied in primary care contexts. Five ophthalmologists were interviewed to discover their interactions with optometrists. Between March and August 2021, 23 semistructured interviews were conducted online lasting for 30-60 minutes. Transcribed and pseudonymized recordings were analyzed using thematic analysis. All optometrists supported contributing retinal images to form an extensive and long-running research repository. Our main findings are summarized as follows. Optometrists were willing to share images of their patients' eyes but expressed concern about technical difficulties, lack of standardization, and the effort involved. Those interviewed thought that sharing digital images would improve collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists, for example, during referral to secondary health care. Optometrists welcomed an expanded primary care role in diagnosis and management of diseases by exploiting new technologies and anticipated significant health benefits. Optometrists welcomed AI assistance but insisted that it should not reduce their role and responsibilities. Our investigation focusing on optometrists is novel because most similar studies on AI assistance were performed in hospital settings. Our findings are consistent with those of studies with professionals in ophthalmology and other medical disciplines: showing near universal willingness to use AI to improve health care, alongside concerns over training, costs, responsibilities, skill retention, data sharing, and disruptions to professional practices. Our study on optometrists' willingness to contribute images to a research repository introduces a new aspect; they hope that a digital image sharing infrastructure will facilitate service integration.
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ISSN:2292-9495
2292-9495
DOI:10.2196/40887