John Katzman, founder of Noodle (l) and Howard Purcell, president of NECO, discuss the potential impact of artificial intelligence on higher education.

BOSTON—The New England College of Optometry’s (NECO) fourth annual Industry Collaborative, “Health Equity in Eyecare,” shifted venues on Tuesday from the school’s Beacon Street campus to the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter. The second and final day of the event featured a spirited panel discussion on the current scope of practice in optometry as well as a fireside chat from John Katzman, founder and CEO of Noodle, on artificial intelligence (AI) and education, hosted by Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, current president of NECO.

Katzman’s presentation examined online learning in higher education and how AI has the potential to transform higher education by enhancing learning, streamlining administration and improving outcomes. This presentation looked at AI’s applications, benefits, challenges and future trends in education.

“I think of higher education as facing some very interesting times,” said Katzman, who also founded and ran 2U, which is involved in online learning, and The Princeton Review, which helps students find, obtain acceptance and pay for higher education. “About 100 schools have shut down this past year. Probably another 500 will shut down in the next two years. At the same time, people misunderstand about higher education because collectively we are just terrible marketers. Even as people question the value of school, the value of expertise could not be more important, especially in the age of AI.”

“The use of technology should be an enhancement," Katzman added when commenting on the value of online learning versus in-person learning. “There are things you lose when you’re on the other side of the screen. The emotional impact is going to be less and the sense of community is going to be less. You do everything you can to restore that, but it’s a problem. Bringing people together at some frequency is a way to start addressing that. But there are a lot of benefits (to online learning) too. It’s really just a question of imagination and budget. Can you build things online that are great?”

Dr. Purcell asked Katzman his thoughts on AI’s potential impact on higher education and how it might be best utilized.

“In terms of teaching, AI is not going to lower the cost of education,” Katzman said. “In the end, the faculty and the relationship between students and faculty is just too important to dilute. So it’s how do you make teaching better, how do you have faculty spending less time doing road work and answering the same questions for the 20th time, and more time engaging students directly? On the administration side, (using AI) is about cost savings. There are a variety of ways schools can become more efficient and at the same time more responsive and better for students.”

 
 (L to R) A panel discussion on the current scope of practice in optometry included (l to r) Jeff Sanchez, former chair, Massachusetts Ways & Means Committee; Jason Brenner, MD, Boston Vision; Curtis Ono, OD, AOA trustee; Monica Vohra, MD, Dot House Health, and Diane Russo, OD, MPH, director of clinical education at NECO.
The panel discussion that followed focused on the future of optometric practice and collaboration. Optometrists, ophthalmologists and primary care physicians debated on the evolving scope of practice in optometry. The panelists included Jason Brenner, MD, an ophthalmologist at Boston Vision; Curtis Ono, OD, AOA trustee; Diane Russo, OD, MPH, NECO; Jeff Sanchez, former chair, Massachusetts Ways & Means Committee; and Monica Vohra, MD, DotHouse Health. The panel of experts discussed how diverse perspectives can help meet future challenges, benefiting patients and communities by enhancing care, addressing workforce shortages and improving access to eyecare.

“I think there is too much focus on procedures when we talk about scope. To me it’s more about access to specialty eyecare,” said Dr. Brenner. “So when I think about scope I want to talk about how optometry can help patients get access to all care.”

“When I think of scope, I think of opportunity,” said Dr. Vohra, who is the chief medical officer at DotHouse Health. “We think about scope a lot. We are suffering from a workforce shortage, so I think about what the current staff at my health center have the ability to do.”

“There is opportunity, first and foremost, for the individual provider,” added Dr. Ono. “We need a vibrant and growing workforce, and we need to provide the best services to our patients. That’s really going to be the bottom line. There’s a need to not only have accessible care but timely care as well. To be integrated into the medical model is the ultimate goal.”

“When I hear the word ‘scope,’ it really is about equity,” said Sanchez. “There is a dramatic disparity in where people are and where they are getting (health) services and what they’re suffering from. And for some people, optometrists become the primary care person.”




An afternoon session focused on the “Impact of Partnerships,” a closer look at NECO partnerships and how collaborations with industry leaders and health care providers have driven innovation, improved patient outcomes and tackled key challenges in eyecare.

Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, CPCO, FNAP, adjunct associate professor of clinical optometry at NECO, and Carlos Cappas, PsyD, MBA, Lynn Community Health, talked about the importance of incorporating mental health with vision services. That was followed by a talk from Amie Shei, PhD, The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, and Shivang Dave, PhD, CEO of PlenOptika, who discussed the partnership that allows PlenOptika’s handheld autorefractors to be utilized in schools.

In closing remarks, NECO’s Purcell thanked the school's partners for the opportunity to collaborate and engage through its annual Industry Collaborative, which this year attracted 100 attendees.