Cataract Surgical Planning Using Online Software vs Traditional Methods: A Time/Motion and Quality of Care Study.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to compare two methods of preoperative planning for placement of intraocular implants: traditional paper documentation/electronic scans versus a novel online planning software. The aim was to compare the time required and number of data points manually transcribed with each method and to explore whether differences in surgical accuracy could be identified between the two methods in a small sample of 40 patients.

Methods: In this study, preoperative planning was performed twice for all enrolled patients: once through the traditional method and once using an online planning software system. The total time spent and number of data points manually transferred were recorded for each method.

Results: Of the 40 patients enrolled, the mean total surgical planning time was 239 ± 190 seconds for the traditional method vs 63 ± 31 seconds with the online planning software (P<0.00001). The mean number of data points transcribed was 7.2 ± 7.2 for the traditional method vs 0.9 ± 1.7 with the online planning software (P<0.0000001). No statistically significant differences were noted in terms of accuracy of prediction of the spherical equivalent surgical outcome.

Conclusion: In comparison to traditional methods, a significant reduction in time required for surgical planning and the manual transcription of data points was noted when a comprehensive online surgical planning software was used. This has important implications for the efficiency and likely the safety of surgical planning.