The problem
Contact lens wearers ring with the same questions about wearing time, cleaning and what to do if an eye is red, because the sheet is long or out of date. If you update 3 sheets a month at 40 minutes each, that's 2 hours a month.
What the AI does
The optometrist writes the advice points from the manufacturer's guidance and the practice's protocols, with no patient information. Paste them into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask for a one-page sheet in plain English with a clear 'contact us' line. The optometrist checks every point against the guidance, then you add the practice details and a review date.
A worked example
A three-optometrist practice in Exeter updates about 3 aftercare sheets a month for daily, monthly and multifocal lens wearers.
Before
40 minutes to write or update each sheet, 2 hours a month
After
About 15 minutes to check and edit each sheet, 45 minutes a month
What it's worth
About 1.25 hours a month saved (25 minutes on each of 3 sheets), worth around £63 if the optometrist's time is worth £50 an hour.
How to set it up
- List the care points for each lens type from the manufacturer's guidance and your protocols.
- Paste them into your AI assistant and ask for a plain-English page with a short 'when to contact us' section.
- The optometrist checks every line against the guidance and removes anything not in your protocol.
- Add practice contact details and a review date, and print or put it on the site.
- Re-check the sheets when manufacturers or your protocols change.
What goes wrong
- An assistant can state an unsafe or wrong instruction with confidence, such as a wearing time. The optometrist signs off the content.
- The sheet supports, and doesn't replace, the aftercare appointment or advice on a red or painful eye. The sheet must tell patients to contact the practice or urgent care.
- Don't paste patient details. These sheets are general.
- GOC standards make you responsible for the information you give patients, whoever drafted it.