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Abstract

Objective

This study aims to construct and evaluate a digital admission management platform for ophthalmology in China, assessing its impact on nurse reception time, patient satisfaction, human cost and healthcare staff experience, with the goal of enhancing the efficiency and quality of ophthalmic medical services.

Methods

A multidisciplinary team conducted a digital transformation, involving needs assessment, process analysis, and design of a digital admission preparation center system tailored for ophthalmic hospitals. We collected data on nursing times for processing admissions and receiving new patients, patient satisfaction ratings, and healthcare staff feedback before and after the implementation of the digital system to evaluate its impact on operational efficiency.

Results

The implementation of the digital system led to a significant reduction in nursing times for processing admissions (from 733.05 ± 188.34 seconds to 547.18 ± 86.97 seconds) and receiving new patients (from 272.38 ± 73.66 seconds to 215.58 ± 20.95 seconds), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Patient satisfaction increased from 95.75% to 99.50% (p < 0.006). Healthcare staff reported improved experiences, with 90% finding the system more convenient, 92% noting more rational process handling, and 92% having better access to timely and accurate patient information. The system also significantly supported clinical work (90%), enhanced medical safety and quality assurance (92%), and reduced healthcare costs (88%). Additionally, the digital system was estimated to save the hospital a total of approximately 100,200 yuan in annual manpower costs.

Conclusion

The construction and application of a digital ophthalmic admission management platform significantly improved admission management efficiency, increased patient satisfaction, and optimized the working environment for healthcare staff. Digital transformation is a key strategy for enhancing the efficiency of ophthalmic medical services, reducing costs, and improving patient experience.

Keywords

Ophthalmic admission systems digital health patient experience efficiency optimization healthcare quality human cost

Introduction

With the increasing tension of medical resources, hospitals are facing the challenge of ensuring high-quality diagnosis and treatment as well as medical safety while meeting the growing demand for hospitalization. To address this challenge, the Chinese government has proposed a series of policy measures aimed at optimizing service processes through information technology, enhancing service efficiency, and improving the matching degree of medical service supply and demand.¹ The “One-Stop Service” reform initiative has emphasized the importance of establishing a one-stop service center for hospital admission preparation. Currently, several provincial general hospitals have successfully implemented admission preparation centers, significantly enhancing the efficiency and experience of patient admission.^2–4 However, ophthalmic specialty hospitals encounter unique challenges due to their distinct patient demographics and surgical profiles, necessitating digital transformation for refined management and efficient operations.

Day surgery, a cost-effective model aligning with national healthcare reform priorities, has gained traction in China's public hospital system.⁵ It involves patients completing preoperative evaluations as outpatients, undergoing surgery and related treatments on the day of admission, and being discharged the same day.⁶ The Chinese government has established day surgery as a key indicator for high-quality development in public hospitals. Per the “14th Five-Year National Eye Health Plan (2021–2025),” by 2025, day surgeries should account for 60% of elective surgeries in tertiary-level ophthalmic hospitals.⁷ Our hospital introduced day surgery in 2016, transitioning from decentralized to centralized management in 2019. Currently, day surgeries, including cataract, glaucoma, and strabismus correction, make up 70% of our total admissions. Ophthalmic surgeries, known for being “short, frequent, and fast” (brief duration, high frequency, rapid recovery), are well-suited to day surgery models.^8–10 For example, cataract day surgery patients typically complete admission, surgery, and discharge within 4 hours.¹¹ This high-turnover model demands optimized resource allocation and enhanced staff efficiency while ensuring medical quality and patient safety. Traditional management often faces information silos in preoperative assessment, surgical scheduling, and postoperative follow-up, hindering interdepartmental collaboration and causing patient inconvenience. Ophthalmic care heavily relies on imaging (e.g. optical coherence tomography, fundus photography) and detailed parameter recording (e.g. intraocular pressure, visual acuity). Manual documentation leads to time-consuming data retrieval, easy data loss, and poor cross-system interoperability, compromising clinical decision making.¹² With elderly patients predominant, the traditional process's repetitive registration and long waits cause inconvenience and anxiety, reducing satisfaction.¹³ Postoperative follow-up needs (e.g. cataract follow-ups on the day and 1- week postsurgery) add complexity, as traditional phone calls and paper records fall short in efficient management. These challenges underscore the urgency of digital transformation. The “Comprehensive Improvement of Medical Quality Action (2023–2025)” and the “14th Five-Year National Health Plan” further emphasize the importance of strengthening the safety management of medical quality and propose goals for promoting the expansion and balanced layout of high-quality medical resources.^14,15 These policy documents provide policy support and development directions for the digital transformation of ophthalmic specialty hospitals. Compared with the complex information processes of general hospitals, it is particularly crucial to construct an admission preparation center that can quickly respond to the needs of medical resource allocation for ophthalmic specialty hospitals.

This study, based on the core concept of “smart medical treatment, patient-centered,” in collaboration with Haiti Medical Information System Company, has developed and implemented an ophthalmic admission preparation information system, which has been certified with computer software copyright (Soft Reg. No. 9765563). The system precisely matches the unique needs of the admission process for ophthalmic surgery, achieving intelligent management of the entire process from patient admission appointment to preoperative preparation. It aims to enhance the patient experience, shorten the waiting time for hospitalization, reduce the economic burden, and ensure the dual improvement of medical safety and service quality.

Methods

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University at Hangzhou (H2024-026-K-20) and adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. All patient data were anonymized. Given the retrospective nature of the study, the ethics committee waived the requirement for informed consent from participants. For the healthcare staff's surveys, electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants. Before the study, they were fully informed about the purpose of the questionnaire, its anonymous nature, and their right to participate voluntarily.

Sample size calculation

The formula for comparing two independent sample means was used:

n = 2[(Z_1−α/₂ + Z_1−β)²]/d². Based on the expected effect size of the primary outcome (admission process duration), the sample size was calculated. Using pilot data, an effect size d = 0.65, significance level α = 0.05 (two-tailed), and power 1−β = 0.80, the minimum required sample size per group was 38. Considering a 20% dropout rate, 48 participants were recruited for each group.

Design and subjects

This retrospective study reviewed hospital admissions from November 2021 to November 2022, with the digital reform implemented in June 2022. The control group consisted of 60 patients with complete records from November 2021 to May 2022. The study group included 60 patients from June 2022 to November 2022. The participation criteria were as follows: (1) first-time ophthalmic inpatients; (2) aged 18 years or older; (3) completed standard treatment; and (4) had complete electronic medical records. Patients were excluded if they had serious systemic diseases (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade ≥ III) or had incomplete or missing data. Demographic data, including age, sex, education level (primary school or below, middle school, high school or above), and comorbidities (0–1, 2, or ≥ 3 based on ICD-10 codes), were collected from electronic medical records.

Digital platform design

Existing model

In the existing admission model, while each functional component of the traditional hospital admission process has been supported by information technology, there is a lack of information sharing. Some patient information is still transferred manually on paper, and there is no unified information management platform covering the entire admission process. This leads to a disconnection between the information systems of related admission process modules, preventing rapid, and effective communication between functional windows. The absence of a standardized preoperative anesthesia assessment process has led to some patients having their surgeries canceled on the day of the procedure due to undetected anesthesia contraindications. Patient data is not scientifically managed, with surgical information still being transcribed manually on a daily basis. There is no bed reservation information system in place, which results in the heads of various specialties manually controlling their own department's beds according to the hospital's approved bed numbers, without achieving an effective scientific management of the hospital-wide bed allocation. The existing processing procedures have a cumbersome interface, requiring multiple manual switches by staff, which increases the workload of medical personnel and extends the waiting time for patients. Notifications to patients about surgery are sent by clicking on individual text messages, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Design concept

A multidepartmental team for digital reform was formed, including doctors, nurses, managers, and IT engineers. Focusing on the characteristics of ophthalmic patients and surgeries, the team conducted needs assessments, process analyses, and scheme design based on the existing model. The aim was to achieve interconnectivity between outpatient and inpatient services, create a data flow for ophthalmic surgery patients, and integrate multiple hospital systems. This resulted in an information-management platform tailored to our ophthalmic hospital's admission process (see Figure 1 for the workflow comparison before and after, and Figure 2 for the platform management process).

Figure 1.

Workflow comparison before and after digital reform implementation.

Figure 2.

Flowchart of the ophthalmology admission preparation center information management platform.

Technical architecture

The system was developed using Java, with modular design and an integration services API gateway to ensure scalability and stability. Oracle 11g database was selected, supporting dual-node hot standby and hyper-converged server deployment for high availability and easy migration. Integration with hospital systems (hospital information system (HIS), laboratory information system, pathology information system, picture archiving and communication system, electronic medical record (EMR)) was achieved via HL7 v2.5 for real-time data synchronization. Data transmission was secured using secure sockets layer/transport layer security. A large-screen visualization and client-end process tracing were implemented for intuitive data display. A data-driven, intelligent delivery, and closed-loop management system was established for information push and management.

Surgical scheduling data from the HIS system was pushed to RabbitMQ message queues. The admission preparation center system used a subscribe-consume model to obtain data and dynamically generate notification tasks. TTS technology enabled multichannel preoperative notifications (voice calls, SMS, official accounts) with real-time patient feedback collection. Unsuccessful notifications triggered secondary alerts, forming a “push-feedback-optimization” closed loop. CTI middleware connected to voice gateways enabled one-click dialing via RESTful API. All operation logs and feedback data were automatically recorded and synchronized bidirectionally for complete traceability.

Main system functions

Consultation room push

Physicians assess whether patients meet the admission criteria for surgery based on the surgical procedures and patient eligibility. If the surgical criteria are met, doctors will perform a pre-admission registration at the outpatient physician workstation. Based on the patient's medical condition assessment and the examinations completed during the outpatient visit, additional examination and test order information will be automatically transmitted to the admission preparation center's appointment system. The preoperative examination and test package interface allows for one-click submission after selection. The preoperative examination and test package also offers maintenance functionality, enabling different disease types to select various examination and test items.

Appointment registration

Staff at the admission preparation center can locate patients within the information list and further complete the patients’ general information and surgery appointment details. This includes height, weight, education level, occupation, home address, patient contact information, accompanying person's contact information, allergy history, medical history, eye to be operated on, and surgery time.

Physician order inquiry

Staff at the admission preparation center can access and review the physician's prestored orders. After the patient has paid the required fees, they can directly undergo the necessary tests and examinations according to the guidance provided. Concurrently, center staff can monitor the real-time progress of the patient's examinations to ensure no tests are omitted. Moreover, the prestored orders can be directly imported into the inpatient order system. The imported orders retain the information of the original prescribing physician, ensuring consistency and completeness with the medical orders during the patient's hospital stay.

Preoperative anesthesia assessment

After patients have completed the relevant tests and examinations, they must proceed to the anesthesia clinic for preoperative analysis and evaluation under anesthesia. Patients who pass the anesthesia assessment will have their assessment results directly interfaced with the surgery notification form, achieving real-time data interaction.

Medical history collection

After patients have completed their diagnostic tests and examinations, the results are automatically fed back to the admission preparation center system. The information management platform of the admission preparation center invokes the preoperative assessment form from the electronic medical record system. Physicians can collect patients’ medical histories in advance at the admission preparation center, conduct preoperative discussions, and inform patients of relevant risks. The collected data can be directly filled into the record form. The outpatient medical record information can also be directly imported into the relevant modules of the record form, completing the record form which can then be directly interfaced with the electronic medical record system, achieving a full process information interaction of outpatient medical records, pre-admission assessment, and admission medical history data.

Bed reservation

The system facilitates unified bed reservation and management for all day surgery patients and general inpatient surgery patients within the hospital. It provides a real-time monitoring platform for bed occupancy, effectively assisting healthcare staff in understanding the reservation status of patients in their care units, bed utilization, and related workload information. To accommodate the rapid turnover characteristic of ophthalmic surgeries, the bed reservation and release rules are designed based on discharge orders, automatic release of beds for planned admission dates, and manual release by the ward head nurse.

Health education

The Ophthalmology Admission Preparation Center is equipped with an intelligent health education system that utilizes personalized educational television screens. It customizes the playback of video content produced by ophthalmic experts and nursing teams based on the patient's medical condition. From admission procedures to detailed pre- and postoperative guidance for various ophthalmic surgeries, it effectively utilizes the waiting time of patients for highly relevant health education, enhancing their knowledge, and self-management capabilities. The completion status and feedback of patient education are synchronized in real-time to the digital management system at the nursing station, allowing nurses to promptly understand the patient's reception of education, thereby optimizing subsequent nursing plans.

Admission processing

After the completion of the process, the electronic admission order can be effortlessly pushed to the billing department and the ward nurse station with a single click.

SMS notification

The system supports the integration of mobile communication applications, facilitating two-way communication with patients. It sends surgical notification messages to patients through various methods, including intelligent voice calls, text messages, and public account pushes, one day before the scheduled surgery time. This precise notification informs patients of their arrival time at the hospital and allows for segmented appointment scheduling, helping patients understand their appointment details and relevant precautions. The system also supports one-click mass texting and viewing of text message replies, with a backend summary of patient reception and response status.

Discharge follow-up management

To ensure the safety of patients after discharge, the hospital has established a comprehensive follow-up plan. Patients are tracked through various means such as SMS, phone calls, and WeChat, to understand the changes in their conditions postdischarge and to provide guidance based on their current recovery status. Nurses, based on the patient's disease type, surgery, and anesthesia methods, select the number and timing of follow-ups within the system. The system automatically compiles and displays the patients who require follow up on the same day. The appointment nurse can conduct follow-ups through SMS or one-click dial functions, track the patient's vision recovery, check for any ocular discomfort, monitor for related complications, remind patients to revisit the clinic in time, and promptly complete follow-up records. In case of any abnormalities, the records can be directly synchronized to the physician's workstation, alerting the doctor for timely intervention and follow up, thereby further strengthening the collaboration between medical and nursing staff.

Measurements

The duration of the admission process and the time spent by ward nurses receiving new patients before and after the implementation of the reform were collected. A patient satisfaction questionnaire designed by the research team was used to survey inpatients’ satisfaction with management work both pre - and postreform. The questionnaire, assessed by a third party, covered five aspects: hospital environment order, staff service attitude, admission service process, communication, and health education, with 20 items in total. A five-point rating scale was adopted, ranging from “very dissatisfied” to “very satisfied,” scored from 1 to 5. The total score of the questionnaire ranged from 20 to 100, with scores of 90 or above indicating satisfaction. The satisfaction rate was calculated as the percentage of patients with scores of 90 or above out of the total number of patients surveyed. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.96, and the content validity index for each item was ≥0.80, indicating good reliability and validity. Postreform, 50 healthcare staff members were surveyed on their work experience satisfaction using a QR-code-based electronic questionnaire designed by the research team. The questionnaire assessed the convenience of the operating system, the rationality of process handling, information data sharing, work efficiency, quality, and safety, with response options of “strongly agree,” “agree,” “neutral,” “disagree,” and “strongly disagree.”

Statistical Analysis

Data analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0. Categorical data were represented by rates and percentages, and group comparisons were made using the χ² test or Mann-Whitney U test. Normally distributed continuous data were presented as mean ± standard deviation, and group comparisons were conducted using the independent samples t-test. The significance level was set at α = 0.05.

Results

Before the reform, the patient cohort included 27 males (45%) and 33 females (55%), with ages ranging from 44 to 93 years. Twenty-seven patients (45%) had an education level of primary school or below, 17 (28.3%) had junior middle school education, and 16 (26.7%) had senior middle school education or above. Eighteen patients (30%) had less than 1 comorbidity, 19 (31.7%) had 2, and 23 (38.3%) had 3 or more. After the reform, the patient cohort consisted of 29 males (48.3%) and 31 females (51.7%), with ages ranging from 34 to 88 years. Thirty-five patients (58.4%) had an education level of primary school or below, 14 (23.3%) had junior middle school education, and 11 (18.3%) had senior middle school education or above. Twenty-six patients (43.3%) had less than 1 comorbidity, 16 (26.7%) had 2, and 18 (30%) had 3 or more. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, education level, or number of comorbidities between the two groups (all p > 0.05), indicating that the results were comparable (see Table 1 for details).

Table 1.

Comparison of population characteristics before and after the digital reform of the ophthalmic admission process.

Characteristic	Before reform (n = 60)	After reform (n = 60)	Z / t / χ² value	p value
Age (years)	67.97 ± 12.89	67.73 ± 12.00	0.103	0.928
Gender
Male	27 (45%)	29 (48.3%)	0.134	0.714
Female	33 (55%)	31 (51.7%)	0.134	0.714
Education Level
Primary School or Below	27 (45%)	35 (58.4%)	−0.149	0.137
Junior Middle School	17 (28.3%)	14 (23.3%)
Senior Middle School or Above	16 (26.7%)	11 (18.3%)
Number of Comorbidities
≦1	18 (30%)	26 (43.3%)	−0.141	0.158
2	19 (31.7%)	16 (26.7%)
≧3	23 (38.3%)	18 (30%)

Following the digital reform, the duration of the admission process was significantly reduced from (733.05 ± 188.34) seconds to (547.18 ± 86.97) seconds (t = 6.94, p < 0.001) (see Table 2). Based on an average of 70 admissions per day, each nurse can save about 3.61 hours of work time daily. Assuming the hospital has 2 admission nurses, this would save approximately 90,250 yuan in annual labor costs. The time ward nurses spent admitting new patients was also significantly reduced from (272.38 ± 73.66) seconds to (215.58 ± 20.95) seconds (t = 5.25, p < 0.001; see Table 2). Based on an average of 50 patients received per day, each nurse can save about 0.79 hours daily. Assuming the hospital has 1 nurse responsible for receiving patients, this would save approximately 9875 yuan in annual labor costs. Patient satisfaction increased from 95.75% to 99.50%, which was statistically significant (t = 7.48, p < 0.006; see Table 2). Healthcare staff perceived significant improvements after the digital reform, with 90% (45 out of 50) either strongly agreeing or agreeing that the system operation had become more convenient. Furthermore, 92% (46 out of 50) of the staff either strongly agreed or agreed that the processes had become more rational. They also noted that patient information was accurately and promptly available, with 92% (46 out of 50) either strongly agreeing or agreeing. The digital reform played a significant supportive role in clinical work, as reported by 90% (45 out of 50) of the staff, and contributed to ensuring medical quality and safety, with 92% (46 out of 50) either strongly agreeing or agreeing. Additionally, 88% (44 out of 50) of the staff either strongly agreed or agreed that the reform helped to reduce medical costs (see Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Survey of healthcare staff's work experience after digital reform (n = 50).

Table 2.

Comparison of various indicators before and after the digital reform of the ophthalmic admission process.

Indicator	Before reform (n = 60)	After reform (n = 60)	t / χ² value	p value
Admission process duration	733.05 ± 188.34 seconds	547.18 ± 86.97 seconds	6.94	<0.001
Nurse time to admit new patients	272.38 ± 73.66 seconds	215.58 ± 20.95 seconds	5.25	<0.001
Patient satisfaction rate	95.75%	99.50%	7.48	0.006

Discussion

In the current wave of medical informatization, comprehensive hospitals have achieved significant progress in digital transformation. However, ophthalmic specialty hospitals still face unique challenges in optimizing the admission preparation process. Unlike general hospitals that handle complex multi-disciplinary cases, ophthalmic hospitals have a “short, frequent, and fast” surgical model (e.g. cataract day surgeries), which has a lower tolerance for process delays.

Traditional admission processes have issues like data fragmentation (e.g. separate preoperative evaluation, surgical scheduling, and anesthesia assessment) and long waiting times. These problems affect patient experience and healthcare provider efficiency, revealing the current system's limitations.^16,17 Our study population was mainly elderly (mean age 68 years) with low education levels (45%–58.3% had primary school or below), much lower than the 22.69% in general hospital outpatients.¹⁸ This low education level may worsen the digital divide and hinder information access.¹⁸ Also, 30% to 38.3% of patients had ≥3 comorbidities, which can increase process complexity by prolonging preoperative evaluation and increasing interdepartmental needs.^19,20 However, the baseline comparability (all p > 0.05) shows that the digital system's effectiveness is independent of these confounding factors, supporting its broad clinical applicability.

The digital transformation of the ophthalmic admission process has significantly improved efficiency and patient experience by reengineering service models. Postreform, nurses’ admission processing time decreased by 185.87 seconds per case (p < 0.001). Unlike general hospitals with complex IT processes, ophthalmic hospitals, with highly standardized surgeries (e.g. cataract and glaucoma) and a large proportion of day surgeries,¹¹ can break down admission processes into reusable modular steps. A digital platform enables three core optimizations: (1) process transparency: automatically push personalized preoperative info (e.g. arrival time and precautions) to reduce patient anxiety and repeat visits; (2) precision services: use multimodal strategies (smart calls for the elderly, SMS for low-education patients, WeChat reminders for young families) to overcome digital divides; (3) dynamic resource management: a bed-allocation system based on real-time data (e.g. discharge orders and emergency priority) centralizes bed management and dynamically optimizes bed use, solving traditional issues of decentralized management and information asymmetry. This ensures priority admission for ophthalmic emergencies and reduces admission-related medical risks.^21,22 The transparency and real-time availability of bed information decrease patient wait times, enhance bed-resource efficiency, and are especially crucial in the “short, frequent, and fast” ophthalmic model.^23,24 Postreform, patient satisfaction reached 99.50%, aligning with Dang et al.'s²⁵ patient-centered digital service concept. Notably, this improvement was achieved despite a higher proportion of low-education patients (58.3% vs. 45%), highlighting the effectiveness of the multimodal information delivery strategy.

The digital reform of the ophthalmic admission process has significantly streamlined nursing workflows. Automated information entry and real-time test result synchronization have enabled seamless information exchange from admission to discharge, reducing repetitive tasks, and administrative burdens.²⁶ This allows nursing staff to focus more on direct patient care. Specifically, the time ward nurses spent receiving new patients was reduced by 56.8 seconds per case (p < 0.001). This reduction indicates the important role of digital technology in optimizing human resource allocation and enhancing the continuity of medical services.²⁷ This aligns with the findings of Conte et al.,²⁸ who also noted marked improvements in nursing efficiency with information management tools. Our study further quantifies the economic benefits of digital reform, estimating annual labor cost savings of approximately 100,200 yuan through reduced nursing time on admission and patient reception. This cost-saving effect is amplified in ophthalmology. Standardized processes, like preoperative assessments for cataract surgery, allow saved time to be reallocated to high-risk patient care. The specialized modular architecture of ophthalmic care, such as integrated surgical scheduling and anesthesia evaluation, reduces cross-departmental coordination costs and communication overhead, highlighting cost-control advantages in this setting.

Digital reform has greatly improved healthcare staff's work experience, with high approval ratings for system convenience (90%), process rationality (92%), and timely patient information grasp (92%). This aligns with Bayomy et al.'s²⁹ Business Process Reengineering (BPR) concept, which advocates for removing redundant steps and optimizing process synergy through a “surgical scheduling-admission preparation-postdischarge follow up” closed-loop design, restructuring cross-role collaboration. The system enhances information transparency by automatically integrating key data like medical history and preoperative results, reducing manual errors, and optimizing clinical decision making, consistent with Xu et al.'s³⁰ view on information-sharing improving decision making. It standardizes ophthalmic day-surgery pathways (e.g. cataract surgery), lessening interdepartmental communication ambiguity and coordination complexity. Importantly, the system's innovative “discharge follow up” function extends the digital value chain. Using standardized templates, multichannel outreach (SMS/voice), and alerts, it expands services to the community. The system autogenerates daily follow-up patient lists, replacing manual tracking and ensuring timeliness. Abnormalities can be instantly pushed to physicians, shifting from passive response to proactive intervention, highlighting patient-centered integrated care.

This study constructed a digital admission preparation system, proving digital transformation's significant potential in improving ophthalmic hospital process efficiency. While positive results were achieved, there is still room for optimizing postoperative management, particularly in ensuring proper postoperative eye-drop use, which is crucial for surgical efficacy and complication prevention, especially for chronic eye-disease patients. Adherence to long-term medication directly impacts clinical outcomes.^31,32 Subathra et al.'s³¹ study indicates that glaucoma patients’ medication adherence is less than 60% even outside pandemics, with follow-up interruptions exacerbating the issue. Though the current system lacks postoperative eye-drop management, its verified architecture, like smart information push and EMR interfaces, offers a foundation for future enhancements. The next step is to explore integrating key postoperative management functions into the digital system. For instance, developing a multimodal medication reminder that leverages preoperative assessment data and EMR for personalized eye-drop prescriptions, with reminders via voice, SMS, and family involvement. Mao et al.'s³³ study shows that smart medication management with mobile reminders improves adherence in elderly patients. Additionally, an interactive education-feedback loop during admission could enhance patient education and medication adherence.³⁴ By embedding digital tools for postoperative management, the system can evolve from enhancing admission efficiency to supporting full-cycle health management, setting a new standard for precise ophthalmic care.

Limitations

Despite the positive outcomes of this study, there are certain limitations. Firstly, the estimation of labor cost savings in this study only includes the direct benefits of nurse time savings and does not account for system maintenance costs, economic burdens on patients, or potential social benefits. Future research should employ a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis framework to fully assess the economic implications of digital systems. Secondly, although this study confirms the core value of digital systems in the admission process, their role in postoperative management (such as improving eye-drop adherence) requires validation through prospective studies with expanded functionality. Thirdly, exploring the potential of artificial intelligence and big data in personalized services can lead to broader and deeper optimization of medical services, further enhancing patient welfare and medical quality.

Conclusions

This study successfully developed and implemented a digital admission preparation system for ophthalmic specialty hospitals. By precisely meeting the “short, frequent, and fast” clinical demands, it significantly enhanced medical service quality and resource efficiency. The digital system remarkably reduced nurse reception time, increased patient satisfaction, lowered operating costs, and improved healthcare staff's work experience. It optimized process efficiency and information transparency, reduced human resource costs, strengthened interdepartmental collaboration, ensured patient safety, and improved resource allocation. This study offers a reusable digital transformation plan for ophthalmic hospitals, providing an innovative solution to the growing demand for eye care services amid population aging. Moreover, the modular design of the digital system implies potential applicability across other medical specialties, suggesting a broader impact beyond ophthalmology. The flexibility and scalability of the digital platform serves as a reference for institutions pursuing similar transformations, ultimately advancing the frontiers of digital health.

Supplemental Material

sj-docx-1-dhj-10.1177_20552076251341149 - Supplemental material for Digital innovation in ophthalmic admissions: Impact on hospital quality in China

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-dhj-10.1177_20552076251341149 for Digital innovation in ophthalmic admissions: Impact on hospital quality in China by YaoYao Lin, Hui Lin, Ning Tang, Man Hu, Qi Dai and XinWei Shi in DIGITAL HEALTH

Supplemental Material

sj-doc-2-dhj-10.1177_20552076251341149 - Supplemental material for Digital innovation in ophthalmic admissions: Impact on hospital quality in China

Supplemental material, sj-doc-2-dhj-10.1177_20552076251341149 for Digital innovation in ophthalmic admissions: Impact on hospital quality in China by YaoYao Lin, Hui Lin, Ning Tang, Man Hu, Qi Dai and XinWei Shi in DIGITAL HEALTH

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all patients who participated in this study.

ORCID iDs

YaoYao Lin

Qi Dai

XinWei Shi

Ethical considerations

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University at Hangzhou (H2024-026-K-20) and adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author contributions

YYL conducted formal analysis and investigation and drafted original manuscript. HL was responsible for quality control of this study. NT and MH provided technical support. QD and XWS reviewed and edited the manuscript. XWS was responsible for the design, execution. All authors issued final approval for the version to be submitted.

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following ﬁnancial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by Wenzhou Basic Scientific Research Project (N0. Y20220797); special fund of high-quality development in nursing of Eye hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (No. YNHL2201901).

Declaration of conflicting interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Supplemental material

Supplemental material for this article is available online.

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