Care beyond the clinic: Tech support for cataract patients

The idea of surgery can be overwhelming. What’s more, the list of instructions to follow before and after surgery in an effort to avoid complications can increase patient stress tenfold.

That’s why Dr. Tommy Korn, an ophthalmologist with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group and Sharp’s chief spatial computing officer, has helped lead efforts to explore how emerging technologies, such as mobile health and spatial computing, can improve the patient experience when undergoing cataract surgery.

Korn and his colleagues developed the Sharp Health Companion app to empower cataract surgery patients by placing their surgical care plans directly in their pockets or on their arms. The app was built on Apple’s open‑source CareKit platform, which uses smartphones and health wearable devices to support patients in managing their care.

“When you combine compassionate care with thoughtfully designed technology, you can guide patients through every step of their journey and help them feel supported long before and long after their procedure,” Dr. Korn says.

The app simplified the process of following instructions before and after cataract eye surgery by delivering reminders, educational videos and step-by-step guidance through a smartphone or Apple Watch. Patients received notifications about medication timing, fasting instructions and details on what to bring on surgery day and when to arrive.

By turning complex instructions into simple prompts at the right time, it helped patients feel more confident, prepared and in control of their care.

Paper vs. digital

According to Dr. Korn, traditional printed instructions can easily be misplaced or forgotten, especially when patients are managing multiple steps leading to their cataract eye surgery.

Thus, he and colleagues performed a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of the Sharp Health Companion.

The study compared digital guidance with paper instructions and found that patients using the app demonstrated stronger adherence to postoperative eye drop medications. When patients are guided in real time, they are more likely to follow the plan correctly, Dr. Korn says, helping avoid cancellations, delays and complications.

"The real opportunity in digital health is extending care beyond the clinic and into the daily lives of patients," he says.

Additionally, the study demonstrated that digital guidance works well even among older adults who may not consider themselves highly comfortable with technology. Patients said it felt like having a guide with them throughout their surgical journey.

For many seniors, this reduced anxiety because they felt more prepared for surgery and more confident that they were following the instructions correctly. "This project showed that seniors are absolutely willing to engage with technology when it is simple, helpful and designed around their needs,” says Dr. Korn.

A broader vision

Sharp cataract surgery patients have been transitioned to using similar surgery preparation features now built into the Sharp app. While these features are currently used only with patients preparing for cataract surgery — the most performed procedure in medicine — the broader vision is to expand their use to improve patient experience for a variety of procedures.

This matters, Dr. Korn says, because health care does not begin and end in the clinic. Surgery preparations and recovery take place mostly at home, where patients must remember many instructions. Digital companions help bridge the gap by guiding patients when they need step-by-step information.

“What we learned is that when digital tools are designed around the patient journey, they can significantly improve the surgical experience and outcomes,” says Dr. Korn.

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