Industry

Binkhorst Lecture: Practices should implement AI now

Healio Optometry1d ago1 min read

WASHINGTON — When considering AI in ophthalmic practice, the question is no longer whether to implement it but rather how quickly a practice can adopt it into its workflow, according to a presenter.At the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting, Kerry D. Solomon, MD, delivered the 2026 Cornelius D. Binkhorst, MD, Lecture, overviewing four areas in which practices can integrate AI.The first is the use of ambient scribes.“It’s efficient, it’s cost-effective, and it’s a nice way to have scribes for all our providers,” Solomon said. “We estimate that it will save 45 minutes

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AI Summary

Quick Take

At the ASCRS meeting, Dr. Kerry D. Solomon delivered the Binkhorst Lecture, asserting that AI integration is now a necessity rather than an option for ophthalmic practices. He highlighted ambient AI scribes as a primary entry point, noting they can save providers approximately 45 minutes of documentation time while improving practice efficiency.

Why It Matters

Administrative burden and EHR documentation are leading causes of burnout in ophthalmology, often extending the workday long after the last patient has left. The shift toward ambient AI scribing represents a scalable, cost-effective way to provide every clinician with scribe-level support without the overhead of human staff. As practice margins tighten, adopting these technologies is becoming a critical strategy for maintaining both provider well-being and operational throughput.

Key Details

Dr. Kerry D. Solomon presented the 2026 Cornelius D. Binkhorst, MD, Lecture, focusing on the immediate need for AI adoption in workflow.
The lecture outlined four specific areas for AI integration, with a heavy emphasis on the role of ambient scribes.
Ambient AI tools are characterized as efficient and cost-effective solutions that can be deployed across all providers in a practice.
Initial estimates suggest that using AI for documentation can save a clinician roughly 45 minutes of work.
The presentation emphasized that the speed of adoption will likely define the future competitiveness of cataract and refractive practices.

Practice Implications

Practice owners should investigate ambient AI scribe platforms to reduce the time spent on manual data entry and EHR navigation. Implementing these tools can standardize documentation across a multi-provider practice while allowing surgeons to focus more on patient interaction during consultations.

Who's Affected

OphthalmologistsCataract SurgeonsRefractive SurgeonsPractice OwnersClinical Staff

What's Next

Following the focus on administrative AI, the industry expects further developments in the remaining three areas of integration mentioned by Dr. Solomon. Practices should monitor the market for AI tools that move beyond documentation into diagnostic support and surgical planning.

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