The Independent Advantage S02 E10: Demoing AI voice agents

This episode of The Independent Advantage explores how an artificial intelligence (AI) voice agent can support an optometry practice by answering calls and scheduling appointments, while handing off situations it should not handle. Host Diana Canto-Sims, OD, continues the discussion on how to best implement AI into your practice with guest Raphael Rostenne, chief technology officer at EyeCare Pro.

The meeting opens with a live demonstration of EyeCarePro’s virtual assistant, where Rostenne acts as the caller. The agent introduces itself, explains that it can answer general questions and help book or reschedule appointments, and offers to transfer callers to the office. Rostenne asks to book an appointment. After checking availability, the agent finds openings on Tuesday, August 11, between 4 and 6 pm and books the 6 pm appointment with the doctor. It verifies the caller using their year of birth, then confirms the email, phone number, and VSP insurance already on file. The booking is completed, and the agent asks whether the caller would like to schedule for someone else. When Rostenne asks for a muffin recipe—outside the agent’s optometry-related scope—the agent offers to connect them to the main office instead.

Rostenne explains that the agent uses the caller’s phone number and year of birth to identify returning patients. If it finds a match, it can confirm existing details rather than asking the person to provide everything again. Rostenne estimates that about two-thirds of bookings are from returning patients. If the system cannot identify a caller, it can proceed as though they are a new patient and collect the necessary information.

Watch a second demo on rescheduling an appointment below

The conversation also covers customization. Practices can use an FAQ system and add custom messages in selected parts of the interaction, such as a greeting or a reminder to bring insurance cards. The booking flow itself is less customizable; instead, the system is improved across practices based on weekly reviews of calls and common reasons people do not book.

On safety, Rostenne says the agent should involve a human for medical matters, questions outside its capabilities, or when a patient requests a person. It is also trained to recognize common emergency-related situations, such as injuries. For scheduling and patient data, the voice agent connects to the company’s existing online scheduler. The practice’s settings determine whether appointments are automatically approved or reviewed by staff.

Finally, Rostenne describes how practices can assess performance through a patient engagement dashboard and review call recordings if they choose. One example covered 314 calls, an average call duration of about a minute and a half, a 57% transfer rate, and 40 appointments booked, reported as a 57% capture rate. The episode concludes by noting that clients often become accustomed to the technology quickly and that the dashboard supports oversight and traceability.

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