Yari Has Questions ...
April 02, 2024
6 min watch
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Yari Mitchell has questions for John Hovanesian, MD, FACS: Setting patient expectations
Transcript
Editor's note: This is an automatically generated transcript, which has been slightly edited for clarity. Please notify editor@healio.com if there are concerns regarding accuracy of the transcription.
Hi, I'm Yari, I have questions. And this is Doctor John Hovanesian, and he has answers. Let's see if they match. Hi John, thanks for joining me today.
Hi, Yari, how am I doing so far?
So far you haven't given me an answer, you've given me a question. But we'll work through this fine. It'll be fine.
Let's do our best.
Yeah, that's good. So, I'm so curious; There's so much innovation, and you have the opportunity to participate in a lot of the development of technology. What have you integrated in the last year, in terms of innovations, that you're really excited about?
There are so many great innovations. So where do we start? You know, lens implants: we've got terrific implants to give great spectacle independence. Every year they seem to be more and more tolerable to patients; we've now got tuneable lens implants, like the Light Adjustable Lens, which really just takes the hardest to please patients and makes them the happiest. We've got the small aperture lens that a few smart people put together and brought to market, and really has an important place for cataract surgeons. And then there's the whole world of drug delivery, which is exciting. Right now glaucoma is probably the biggest place, we've got some new dry eye products that are really moving things, we've got two companies with water-free eye drops that are both delivering drug and treating areas of the disease that we couldn't, but I mean, I could go on and on.
Yeah. Spoiled for innovation at the moment.
We really are, it's great.
That's exciting. One of the big buzz words that's happening these days, what people are talking about a lot, is AI. It seems like you can't turn a corner at a convention without someone promoting that they've got AI integrated into their system. What's your take, and what has you excited about AI?
Well already, you know, we're using AI in lens selections; We've got companies that are using AI for lens calculators that are, you know, intended to improve upon previous results. We've got ways that we're going to start looking at big databases to identify disease, identify trends and help us with drug discovery. I mean the world is wide open. And while we may think that it's going to be as easy as using ChatGPT, it’s going to take some careful work by some smart data scientists to make the most of what AI can do. But that's ahead of us, and I think we have yet to really discover the best places AI's going to help us in medicine.
Yeah, if you were to fast-forward say five, 10 years, how do you think, if you were to be optimistic, how do you see it really changing the way that maybe you deliver care for your patients?
You know, the biggest thing is probably where we keep records. It's EHR; there are already systems that can sort of be a fly on the wall in the room and take the conversation that the doctor had with the patient, and also some verbally dictated exam findings, and turn it into a structured note in EHR. So, potentially, AI can take a big time sink for doctors and their staff, which is keeping records, and turn it into a time savings, and probably do a better job of record keeping. I mean for me, that's one that I'm particularly excited about because we invest a lot of time and human resources into keeping good records.
-Yeah, for sure. well, I mean that just allows you to have more time with the patient and have that meaningful conversation.
- Yeah.
So, speaking of which, I'm curious; Since you have a lot of conversations with patients, what have you found to be — maybe a pearl you could share on how do you have effective conversations with patients about, say cataract surgery, and setting their expectations? What would be one pearl you would share?
Yeah, so I think that there's a partnership between patient and doctor over surgery. Whether it's a premium cataract surgery with a refractive outcome intended, or it's just a, you know, a complex case. I often start with — if you were my relative, if you were my sister or brother or whatever, here is what I'd recommend, and here's why. I think, kind of taking that mentality when speaking with a patient is always very effective, and of course you have to mean it. Anticipating the problems they're going to have is crucial, and trying to prepare them for those possibilities is essential to a happy outcome, and a good, preserved relationship, whether things go right or don't go right in surgery.
And it's not really that there's not ever going to be a problem, you know, it's really, how do you manage through that and how do you resolve it, right?
Yeah, that's right.
Yeah, and if you prepare in advance, it’s more successful on the back end.
That's right, and where premium lenses are concerned, refractive cataract surgery, I personally believe there's nobody more credible to have the conversation with the patient than the surgeon, or a designate who is credible, and understands and can sort of go toe-to-toe with anybody on how the technology works, and what its limitations are. Because the patients — they want straight answers, they don't want to be handed off the somebody they perceive as a salesperson to talk about the cost. They want to hear all of it right up front so they can understand and make a decision. Whether they make the decision at that time or not, at least they have all the pieces together. And that's credible, that's the way any one of us would want to be talked to and presented with new technology.
Sure. So, we're going to — I've got a couple fun questions for you that I would like to get your feedback on. So, number one, what is your preferred music in the OR?
So, I have a unique thing here, I let the staff pick the music in the OR.
Okay.
But then I reserve the right to complain about it.
Okay.
It's an important strategy.
Okay good, so you're concerned about their happiness first, but you know, not at the risk of yours.
Yeah, and the fun of giving them a hard time over the music is worth far more than any enjoyment I would get by picking the music.
I love it.
So that's what I mean when I say I reserve the right to complain about it.
Excellent, and then I think the most important question for you today, and I've asked this of most people I'm talking to, is if you were to be an ice cream flavor, what would it be and why?
Oh man, you know…
I know, hard question.
If I say rum raisin, are you going to judge me?
Maybe a little.
Yes, I love it, so adults only.
I guess so.
Rum raisin, I love it. Thank you, John, for being with me today and sharing some of your pearls and insights. We're excited about the future in Ophthalmology and look forward to catching up with you again sometime.
Yari, you're the best. Congratulations on this new format, and I hope you have as much fun with it as I did today. Thanks.
Awesome, thanks.
Hi, I'm Yari, I have questions. And this is Doctor John Hovanesian, and he has answers. Let's see if they match. Hi John, thanks for joining me today.
Hi, Yari, how am I doing so far?
So far you haven't given me an answer, you've given me a question. But we'll work through this fine. It'll be fine.
Let's do our best.
Yeah, that's good. So, I'm so curious; There's so much innovation, and you have the opportunity to participate in a lot of the development of technology. What have you integrated in the last year, in terms of innovations, that you're really excited about?
There are so many great innovations. So where do we start? You know, lens implants: we've got terrific implants to give great spectacle independence. Every year they seem to be more and more tolerable to patients; we've now got tuneable lens implants, like the Light Adjustable Lens, which really just takes the hardest to please patients and makes them the happiest. We've got the small aperture lens that a few smart people put together and brought to market, and really has an important place for cataract surgeons. And then there's the whole world of drug delivery, which is exciting. Right now glaucoma is probably the biggest place, we've got some new dry eye products that are really moving things, we've got two companies with water-free eye drops that are both delivering drug and treating areas of the disease that we couldn't, but I mean, I could go on and on.
Yeah. Spoiled for innovation at the moment.
We really are, it's great.
That's exciting. One of the big buzz words that's happening these days, what people are talking about a lot, is AI. It seems like you can't turn a corner at a convention without someone promoting that they've got AI integrated into their system. What's your take, and what has you excited about AI?
Well already, you know, we're using AI in lens selections; We've got companies that are using AI for lens calculators that are, you know, intended to improve upon previous results. We've got ways that we're going to start looking at big databases to identify disease, identify trends and help us with drug discovery. I mean the world is wide open. And while we may think that it's going to be as easy as using ChatGPT, it’s going to take some careful work by some smart data scientists to make the most of what AI can do. But that's ahead of us, and I think we have yet to really discover the best places AI's going to help us in medicine.
Yeah, if you were to fast-forward say five, 10 years, how do you think, if you were to be optimistic, how do you see it really changing the way that maybe you deliver care for your patients?
You know, the biggest thing is probably where we keep records. It's EHR; there are already systems that can sort of be a fly on the wall in the room and take the conversation that the doctor had with the patient, and also some verbally dictated exam findings, and turn it into a structured note in EHR. So, potentially, AI can take a big time sink for doctors and their staff, which is keeping records, and turn it into a time savings, and probably do a better job of record keeping. I mean for me, that's one that I'm particularly excited about because we invest a lot of time and human resources into keeping good records.
-Yeah, for sure. well, I mean that just allows you to have more time with the patient and have that meaningful conversation.
- Yeah.
So, speaking of which, I'm curious; Since you have a lot of conversations with patients, what have you found to be — maybe a pearl you could share on how do you have effective conversations with patients about, say cataract surgery, and setting their expectations? What would be one pearl you would share?
Yeah, so I think that there's a partnership between patient and doctor over surgery. Whether it's a premium cataract surgery with a refractive outcome intended, or it's just a, you know, a complex case. I often start with — if you were my relative, if you were my sister or brother or whatever, here is what I'd recommend, and here's why. I think, kind of taking that mentality when speaking with a patient is always very effective, and of course you have to mean it. Anticipating the problems they're going to have is crucial, and trying to prepare them for those possibilities is essential to a happy outcome, and a good, preserved relationship, whether things go right or don't go right in surgery.
And it's not really that there's not ever going to be a problem, you know, it's really, how do you manage through that and how do you resolve it, right?
Yeah, that's right.
Yeah, and if you prepare in advance, it’s more successful on the back end.
That's right, and where premium lenses are concerned, refractive cataract surgery, I personally believe there's nobody more credible to have the conversation with the patient than the surgeon, or a designate who is credible, and understands and can sort of go toe-to-toe with anybody on how the technology works, and what its limitations are. Because the patients — they want straight answers, they don't want to be handed off the somebody they perceive as a salesperson to talk about the cost. They want to hear all of it right up front so they can understand and make a decision. Whether they make the decision at that time or not, at least they have all the pieces together. And that's credible, that's the way any one of us would want to be talked to and presented with new technology.
Sure. So, we're going to — I've got a couple fun questions for you that I would like to get your feedback on. So, number one, what is your preferred music in the OR?
So, I have a unique thing here, I let the staff pick the music in the OR.
Okay.
But then I reserve the right to complain about it.
Okay.
It's an important strategy.
Okay good, so you're concerned about their happiness first, but you know, not at the risk of yours.
Yeah, and the fun of giving them a hard time over the music is worth far more than any enjoyment I would get by picking the music.
I love it.
So that's what I mean when I say I reserve the right to complain about it.
Excellent, and then I think the most important question for you today, and I've asked this of most people I'm talking to, is if you were to be an ice cream flavor, what would it be and why?
Oh man, you know…
I know, hard question.
If I say rum raisin, are you going to judge me?
Maybe a little.
Yes, I love it, so adults only.
I guess so.
Rum raisin, I love it. Thank you, John, for being with me today and sharing some of your pearls and insights. We're excited about the future in Ophthalmology and look forward to catching up with you again sometime.
Yari, you're the best. Congratulations on this new format, and I hope you have as much fun with it as I did today. Thanks.
Awesome, thanks.
