In Aesop’s Fables tale, “The Fox & the Goat,” a fox falls into and gets stuck in a well until a goat blinded by thirst jumps in and becomes the fox’s makeshift stepping stool.
“If you had as much sense as you have beard, old fellow,” he [the fox] said, “you would have been more cautious about finding a way to get out again before you jumped in.”
The ancient morality tale is credited with birthing the proverb, “look before you leap,” whose messaging you’ll find in many of this issue’s content.
Buying New Technology
To start, in this month’s Annual Clinical Technology issue’s cover feature, “Prevent Buyer’s Remorse,” Drs. Allan Barker and Robert Bauman discuss 5 questions they say every OD should ask prior to buying new technology. Among these questions: Will it get lots of use? Does it require additional capital outputs? What’s more, the ODs conclude that “new technology may look amazing on the exhibit hall floor or company website, but if purchasing it is going to cost the OD…, the bells and whistles are not worth it.” Paging the goat.
Best Practices in Telehealth
In her article, “Telehealth in Optometry: Best Practices to Get Started,” Dr. Roya Attar provides 10 action steps to success. A few examples: Identify ideal patients/methods, develop protocols and policies, and train staff. The take-home message: Without following said steps, implementation could be, “well,” disastrous.
Artificial Intelligence in Eye Care
In both the “Dry Eye,” and “Myopia” (an online exclusive) columns, Drs. Pamela E. Theriot and Maria Liu, respectively, acknowledge the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI), while also tempering the excitement surrounding it.
Dr. Theriot points out that AI “could help an optometrist analyze the tear film and meibomian glands to assist in diagnosis,” which could guide the treatment of dry eye disease (DED). However, she also stresses that AI in this area is in its early stages, requiring additional research on its impact.
In her “Myopia” column, Dr. Liu acknowledges that AI is rapidly impacting myopia management, “from diagnostics and treatment planning, to patient education and risk prediction.” Yet, she also stresses the importance of balancing these benefits with the risks, which she names as misinformation, deepfake technologies, and confirmation bias.
(Speaking of AI, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this issue marks the inaugural “Artificial Intelligence” column.
Don’t Be the Goat
“The foolish goat now saw what a plight he had gotten into and begged the fox to help him...” reads the fable’s end.
Don’t get stuck in the proverbial well. Instead, as your colleagues suggest, why not do your due diligence in researching appealing technology? Then, determine whether investing in it makes sense for your practice and patients. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m a bit thirsty, so I’m going to have a large, refreshing glass of water. From my refrigerator. ;). OM