MKUH trials AI assistant as part of Cataract follow-up appointments
Milton Keynes University Hospital’s (MKUH) Ophthalmology department is trialling a new conversational AI assistant called Dora to streamline outpatient appointments. The aim is to reduce wait times for routine check-ups and to allow healthcare professionals to see more patients as well as providing them with more time to focus on those patients with more complex care needs.
Digital Assistant Dora will be able to hold follow-up calls with patients and have an automated conversation with them. Patients can speak to Dora naturally, like they would a Doctor or Nurse.
Dora will call patients following surgery to ask about symptoms, whether the patient needs their second eye operated, answer common questions and collect feedback on the service provided.
An additional feature to Dora is that patients with mobile phones will receive a text message with the date and time that Dora will call. Dora will also try alternative times and days if these are more suitable for the patient.
The software has been developed by an autonomous telemedicine company, Ufonia. The system conducts a real-time two-way conversation with patients that enhances routine appointments. Dora has been successfully deployed at trusts across the NHS and has now conducted over 30,000 calls to patients, consistently receiving excellent feedback from both patients and staff.
Dora officially launched at MKUH on Monday 29 July for post cataract follow-up appointments and will be trailed for a 12-month period. Feedback from patients will be collected during the trial period.
If you have any questions or concerns about the use of Dora, please speak to a member of staff who will be happy to help.
Here are some frequently asked questions:
Can Dora speak to all patients?
In general, you can have a conversation with Dora if you are an adult, are able to speak English, have a personal phone, including landlines and/or mobile phones and do not have a significant cognitive or hearing impairment.
Can Dora understand me if I have an accent?
Yes, Dora is equipped with advanced speech recognition capabilities that can understand a variety of accents and speech patterns. If you speak slowly or have an accent, Dora should still be able to accurately interpret your responses.
Can Dora speak to me in another language?
Dora is not yet able to speak to you in another language.
Can someone speak to Dora on my behalf?
At present, Ufonia does not encourage someone else to speak on your behalf. This is because the Dora conversation includes a security question to ensure that Dora is speaking with you.
What if Dora doesn’t understand me?
If Dora has trouble understanding you, it will ask you to repeat or clarify your response. If the issue persists, Dora will move onto the next question and flag this part of the conversation.
Can I reschedule my hospital appointments through Dora?
No, but you can provide information to Dora about whether or not you can attend an appointment with your healthcare provider, which will be passed back to them for review and action.
Can I opt out of using Dora and speak to a member of staff instead?
Absolutely. If you would prefer to speak with a member of staff following your appointment, please let us know,
Last Modified: 8:51am 30/07/2024
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