Eyeworld

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2026 ASCRS CLINICAL SURVEY Digital When you ask doctors to comment on barriers to integration of digital solutions, very often cost and perceived ROI emerge at the top of the list. Indeed, they're important, but integration into the practice flow is actually the barrier that prohibits success with new digital integrations more than anything else. Integration is mentioned in the survey questions, but it's more about integrating with existing systems like EHR, diagnostics, and billing. That's important, but it's not the reason that full scale adoption of new digital solutions often fails in practices. Certainly, a solution is not optimal if it doesn't fully integrate with the EHR, but sometimes its value is so great that we are willing to overlook that inconvenience. Even so, sometimes we still fail at adoption because we don't get everyone on board with a process to change our workflow. These digital systems find their way into much of what we do in practice. For example, if you're going to do digital planning for lens calculations for cataract surgery, the reps and the technicians in the practice have to make sure that all the lenses that we use are in the system. Second, we need to make sure surgeons and the administrator staff are trained in using the system. Third, we need to make sure that the patient's preferences for lens type, target refraction, and other parameters are actually in that system. And fourth, we need to make sure the information somehow gets over to the surgery center after the lenses are selected, and we need to verify that the lens selected by the surgeon matches what was planned. If practices were to work on one thing, it should be having a process for making changes in workflow. It usually takes a champion, a meeting of everyone who's going to be involved, and a task list with dates and follow through to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Respondents also commented on how likely they are to adopt or expand use of one or more of the following within the next 12 months: digital visualiza- tion, AI workflow tools, improved cybersecurity, or an EHR switch. Respondents were fairly evenly split, with 31% neutral or unsure, 34% total very likely or likely, and 35% total unlikely or very unlikely. This is one place where the ASCRS Digital Clinical Committee hopes to clarify the value of these systems. They're not all perfect, and we want to be honest about that, but many of them offer real value for practices. The number of new digital offerings can be overwhelming for some practices, and a good way to approach the multitude of options is to say that each year, you're going to adopt one new solution and be very thoughtful about what that is and how much val- ue it's going to offer. Slowly, you get your practice to a much more advanced place in the adoption of these fantastic tools. —John Hovanesian, MD ASCRS Digital Clinical Committee Chair n=817 What are the biggest barriers to implementing new digital technology in your practice? (Select up to 3) 23% Physician time constraints 12% Other 12% Regulatory/compliance concerns 10% Data security/privacy concerns 10% Vendor reliability/support concerns Cost 38% 27% Upfront cost/unclear ROI 24% Staff training time/workflow disruption 7% Lack of internal "digital champion"/IT resources 25% Integration with existing systems (EHR, diagnostic devices, billing) 8% Concern about patient acceptance or experience pq Statistically significant difference between segments n=817 How likely are you to adopt or expand use of one or more of the following within the next 12 months (digital visualization, AI workflow tools, improved cybersecurity, or an EHR switch)? VERY LIKELY/LIKELY BY SEGMENT 2026 Practice location U.S. 34% International 32% Years in practice Early stage (0–5 years) 27% q Mid-stage (6–10 years) 40% Late stage (11+ years) 39% Perform majority of surgeries in Hospital outpatient department (HOPD) 30% Office 49% p Gender Male 33% Female 34% 10% 24% 31% 16% 19% All Respondents Very likely Likely Neutral/unsure Unlikely Very unlikely 34% Very likely/ Likely

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