Trust’s AI assistant up for major award
‘Dora’ makes follow-up calls to cataract patients
An innovative AI technology project at the Frimley Health Trust is in the running for a prestigious digital award.
Digital assistant ‘Dora’ has been making surgical followup calls to cataract patients, which is successfully tackling a growing backlog at the trust, which runs Wexham Park and Heatherwood hospitals.
The AI system handles the routine clinical nurse-led phone calls to assess patients after their operation and has freed up hundreds of hours of nursing time within the Trust’s eye department.
Head of ophthalmology strategy Dr Lorraine North said: “Patients love it. We’ve had one who wanted to take Dora to dinner, while another wrote a poem for her.”
She said Dora makes recommendations, not decisions, and that her work is checked by human clinicians.
“There will always be a human element, as we have to maintain oversight,” Dr North added.
Frimley Health Trust carries out more than 5,000 cataract surgery procedures every year and pressure on resources, already stretched by the pandemic, saw a mounting backlog of follow-up calls.
One month after launching Dora, the surgery-to-call time was cut from 10 to two weeks and cleared the call backlog.
The AI system has made more than 2,100 surgical follow-up calls to patients since the project was launched in December 2022.
Frimley Health consultant ophthalmologist Tom Poole said: “Using Dora has allowed our stretched nursing workforce to reallocate time to valuable face-to-face clinics.
“We have been able to expand our cataract pre-op assessment clinics to Wexham Park Hospital for the first time.
“I really like the fact that we have not only saved nursing time, but patients are getting information and contact from us at a time that suits them best.
“Dora can call dozens of patients all at 9am on Monday morning if that’s what people need.
“It’s fantastic to be shortlisted for such a high-profile glittery awards ceremony. We would love to win, not only for the accolade itself, but to give our work a wider profile, as there is no doubt that other organisations could benefit.”
The AI software behind automated clinical assistant Dora has been developed by Oxfordbased
technology company Ufonia, and is named after the 4th-century Greek physician, Metrodora.
The shortlisted Frimley Health project was among
more than 300 entries received for this year’s HSJ Digital Awards and winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Manchester on June 6.