Will AI replace Orthoptists?

Some of your tasks will be automated. People who use AI will have the edge.

Task exposure to today's AI

32/100

Moderate exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Orthoptists?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 32% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: prepare diagnostic or treatment reports for other medical practitioners or therapists. The parts that stay human include: Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.; Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.; Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Prepare diagnostic or treatment reports for other medical practitioners or therapists.AI already used 75%

Provide instructions to patients or family members concerning diagnoses or treatment plans. 55%

Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements. 42%

Provide nonsurgical interventions, including corrective lenses, patches, drops, fusion exercises, or stereograms, to treat conditions such as strabismus, heterophoria, and convergence insufficiency. 15%

Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus. 12%

Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing. 12%

+ 10 more tasks (30% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Examine patients with problems related to ocular motility, binocular vision, amblyopia, or strabismus.
Perform diagnostic tests or measurements, such as motor testing, visual acuity testing, lensometry, retinoscopy, and color vision testing.
Evaluate, diagnose, or treat disorders of the visual system with an emphasis on binocular vision or abnormal eye movements.

AI tools to try

Clinical documentation and transcription assistantsChatGPT / Claude for patient information (no patient data)Clinical decision support in your systems

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Less documentation time

AI transcription and note drafting where your organisation allows it.
Patient information leaflets in plain language.
Never put identifiable patient data into public tools.

Project

Use AI to draft de-identified orthoptic exam note templates and rewrite 5 patch, drops and fusion-exercise leaflets at reading age 12, then time 10 clinic write-ups before and after.

Phase 2

Evidence and decision support

Guideline and literature summaries with AI, checked in the source.
Understand how decision-support tools reach their output.
Know the limits and liability.

Project

Build an AI-assisted one-page evidence summary on convergence insufficiency and amblyopia occlusion dosing, verifying every claim against the cited source and logging the error rate.

Phase 3

AI in care processes

Coordination, scheduling and handover with AI help.
Take part in your organisation's AI projects.
Teach colleagues safe use.

Project

Pilot AI-supported scheduling and handover summaries for your strabismus review list for 2 weeks, measure appointment slots recovered, and run a 1-hour safe-use session for colleagues.

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