Short on Staff? 6 Automated Technology Solutions

As the demand for eye care services soars today, U.S. optometric practices are struggling to stay on pace as they face deep challenges in keeping up with staffing needs.

According to a 2024 survey by the American Optometric Association, more than 60% of optometry practices reported moderate to severe staff shortages, with front desk, technician, and administrative roles being the hardest to fill. Also, The Vision Council’s Provider inSights Q1 and Q2 2025 Report showed that 72% of eye care practices face hiring challenges. These struggles are largely driven by a decline in qualified candidates, rising labor costs, and increased labor competition from other healthcare sectors.

The workforce pressures have left practice owners searching for solutions that ensure operational continuity as well as high levels of care and patient satisfaction.

72% of eye care practices face hiring challenges today.

The Vision council provider insights q1 + q2 2025 report

Jay W. Henry, OD, MS, of Hermann & Henry Eyecare in Pickerington, Ohio, is no stranger to staff shortages. From interview no-shows and employees quitting after only a few weeks to unexpected medical issues and maternity leave, the practice has struggled to stay fully staffed the last two years.

“Hiring and retaining employees has become very difficult with increased salary and benefits expectations, as well as flexibility offered with work-from-home jobs, which we are not able to offer,” he says.

Fortunately, the continued evolution of healthcare technology is providing new ways to mitigate the impacts of limited staffing. Many digital tools are now capable of automating or streamlining some of the administrative and clinical tasks typically handled by staff. From the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) supports to automated and integrated digital platforms, technology is becoming an essential partner for practices aiming to thrive in a resource-constrained environment.

Here, we explore some of the most impactful technologies available to optometric practices, offering real-world examples, time-saving estimates, and practical guidance for effective implementation.

Insight Media Video Interview: Kiranjeet Sran, OD, Discusses Practice Tech Solutions.

AI Scribes

AI-powered scribing tools automatically document patient encounters, transcribe conversations, and populate in your electronic health record (EHR) system in real time.

These tools use natural language processing to capture clinical notes, reducing or eliminating the need for staff to manually handle documentation. For instance, the American Academy of Family Physicians Innovation Lab found a 72% reduction in documentation time using a voice AI technology.

Numerous ophthalmic AI scribe tools are available on the market today—and some EHR platforms are integrating them directly into the system for seamless use. Alternatively, consider that some services now also offer remote human scribes through secure platforms, providing an on-demand option for office personnel.

When comparing costs, it’s important to weigh both the initial and ongoing expenses of signing up for an ophthalmic AI scribe or hiring a dedicated scribe. Also, as you consider these services, ensure they can integrate with your EHR system and thoroughly evaluate their abilities to protect patient privacy and data.

Virtual Patient Education

Doctors, opticians, and staff members dedicate significant time educating nearly every patient in-person and over the phone. According to Paul Karpecki, OD, the director of cornea and external disease at Kentucky Eye Institute in Lexington, patient education has traditionally been the most time-consuming task among his technicians, sometimes as much as about 20 minutes per patient.

Now, Dr. Karpecki is among many ECPs who have adopted virtual education platforms that deliver on-demand educational content access about various conditions, procedures, and post-visit care. For instance, he uses Rendia (recently acquired by PatientPoint) to provide personalized education for dry eye disease (DED) patients about the definitions of DED, recommended procedures, medications, and more. Dr. Karpecki says that Rendia allows him to see up to 60 patients per day because it removes the bottlenecks created by the time-consuming nature of patient education.

Along with freeing up staff and ensuring consistent patient communication and messaging, Dr. Karpecki saw a 20% increase in cash pay procedures after utilizing this service. “What it does is it lets us educate the patient about that ahead of time so it’s not something new and not a surprise,” he says. “It kind of plants the seed of, “Wow, this could be something really valuable for me.”

When evaluating these tools, read client reviews and talk to colleagues to ensure the educational content is accurate and regularly updated. Also, consider that some platforms provide options for customizing educational materials to reflect your practice’s branding or protocols.

Call Center Automation

Rather than utilizing receptionists and other front desk staff, AI-driven call center solutions can handle inbound and outbound calls, schedule appointments, answer routine questions, and, if necessary, route the call to staff for additional assistance.

Dr. Henry has utilized MaximEyes products for more than 20 years and most recently added the newly launched EVAA Virtual Assistant, which is an AI-driven assistant that handles calls, texts, and scheduling. Within the first few weeks of launching the platform, his practice booked nearly 100 appointments via the virtual assistant. They now estimate about 16 staff hours saved per day with EVAA Virtual Assistant, which frees them up to have more face time with patients.

“Our staff aren’t stressed with phones ringing off the hook or unfinished tasks,” says Dr. Henry. “They are able to converse with patients and spend time explaining insurance benefits, eyeglasses and contact lens options, schedule patients for their next appointments, and carry-on general conversations without interruption.”

When considering these systems, examine how well the AI handles complex or sensitive patient questions and interactions as this can significantly impact the patient experience. Also, for practices with diverse populations, ensure the system supports multilingual capabilities.

Our staff aren’t stressed with phones ringing off the hook or unfinished tasks.

Jay W. Henry, OD, MS

Patient Communication Platforms

Rather than relying on front desk staff and receptionists to manually call or message patients, automated communication platforms can efficiently handle these tasks. These platforms can automatically send a range of communication types to patients, including appointment reminders, follow-up instructions, surveys, and educational material via SMS, email, or voice calls.

Solutionreach, a patient engagement software company, published a case study in which one eyecare practice eliminated 10 hours of reminder phone calls per week and reduced their no-show rate by 50% after automating their patient communications.

When selecting a platform, verify that it will integrate with your current scheduling and patient management software, and assess the degree of customization you can apply to your messages. In addition, keep in mind that some pricing models offer a flat-rate structure while others change a per-message fee.

Check-in Kiosks

Rather than requiring front desk staff to check-in each patient when they arrive for exams, self-service can be utilized to enable patients to handle this process on their own. This can include completing forms, updating their demographic information as needed, and even paying for their visit without the need for staff intervention.

For example, Phreesia reports that its clients have reduced their average check-in time by 3.5 minutes per patient, and nine out of 10 patients use the platform to check in, leading to staff efficiency improvements.

Beyond the hardware and maintenance costs, evaluate whether the solution can integrate with your EHR and billing system. In addition, it’s important to confirm the system is ADA compliant to ensure accessibility.

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What To Do Before Investing

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Inventory Management

According to a RevolutionEHR practice management report, manual inventory management—including tracking, ordering, and reconciling stock—can consume several staff hours per week in a typical optometry practice. Alternatively, automated inventory management systems offer a variety of frame, lens, contact lens, and optical services without requiring human intervention. These systems can monitor inventory in real time, send alerts when stocks are low, and even create purchase orders, which significantly reduces human oversight and unintended data entry errors.

When implementing these systems, ensure the platform can integrate with your pre-existing billing and point-of-sale systems. Also, along with evaluating the various services each system provides, assess the depth of analytics offered. In addition, verify whether the service is built for your practice size, particularly if you manage a multi-location practice.

CONCLUSION

While staff shortages may not be going away any time soon, optometric practices now have reinforcements at their disposal. By strategically adopting these technologies, practices can take steps toward reducing their administrative burden while streamlining workflows. Perhaps most importantly, these services allow practices to continue to offer high levels of service and care to their patients.