AI by industry · Health and wellness
AI for optometrists: what to automate first
An optometry practice gets the most from AI in recalls, phone calls and routine questions. Most patients are due for an exam every year or two, and many never rebook on their own. AI can remind them, answer the usual vision plan questions, and tell people when their glasses are ready. Exams and prescriptions stay with the doctor.
Talk through your practice with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your optometry practice to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Pick what you want AI to take off your plate
The business runs on recalls
Optometry has a built-in repeat cycle: exams, new lenses, contacts that run out. A practice that reminds people at the right time has a steadier schedule than one that waits for them to call.
That makes recall the first thing worth getting right, ahead of any marketing.
Questions that eat the front desk’s day
Do you take my vision plan? Are my glasses in? Can I get contacts without an exam? The answers are mostly repeat ones, so a good assistant can handle most and pass on the rest.
Anything about a prescription or an eye symptom goes to a clinician. Patient information needs privacy care.
Picture this
Examples of what it can look like. Illustrations, not clients.
A patient who last came in two years ago gets a short reminder that an exam is due, with a link to pick a time.
Someone texts asking if their glasses are ready. They get an answer from your lab status, not a call back.
A caller asks if you take their vision plan. The assistant explains what the office can check and offers an appointment.
The rules that apply, in their own words
“A covered entity or business associate may not use or disclose protected health information, except as permitted or required by this subpart”
Sources
- 45 CFR § 164.502 (HIPAA Privacy Rule): When patient information may be used or shared, including by vendors.
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework: The U.S. standards body’s framework for using AI responsibly.
- 15 U.S.C. § 45 (FTC Act, Section 5): The federal ban on unfair or deceptive business practices, ads included.
Talk through your practice with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your optometry practice to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Questions
Can AI handle contact lens reorders?
It can collect the request. A valid prescription and the rules around verifying it still have to be followed, so a person should check.
Is patient data safe?
It depends on the setup. Ask exactly what is stored and who can see it, and expect it to follow privacy rules.
Where does Westward fit?
We build these tools around your practice. Our first call with the founder is free, and a first version takes about a month.