PSY-A-EYE Psychological Factors in the Use of AI in Ophthalmology
The PSY-A-EYE research project—Psychological Factors in the Utilization of AI-CDSS in Ophthalmology—led by psychologist Prof. Dr. habil. Eva Lermer at the Faculty of Applied Humanities and Natural Sciences in the Business Psychology program at the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (THA), the current state of affairs regarding how AI-based services are perceived and used by ophthalmologists is being investigated. The study will also analyze the factors that either promote or hinder their use.
Project Description
To this end, the project brings together specialized and practical expertise from the fields of medicine, computer science, and psychology. The project partners include ophthalmologists, developers of AI-based solutions for clinical decision support systems—including deepeye Medical GmbH—as well as experts in the psychological study of human-AI interaction in healthcare—among them Dr. Susanne Gaube (University College London) and Dr. Anne-Kathrin Kleine, head of the “Human-AI Interaction in Healthcare” project at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich.
The researchers’ goal is to contribute to optimizing the interaction between humans and AI-based systems, particularly in the area of AI-based clinical decision support systems. Based on the findings from this research project, new AI-based technologies can be developed that are optimally tailored to the needs of healthcare professionals. “Our research findings are intended to help improve the quality of patient care, increase efficiency in the healthcare system, and reduce the workload of healthcare professionals,” explains psychologist Prof. Dr. habil. Eva Lermer.
Milestones:
- Qualitative interviews (Phase 1)
- Online study (Phase 2)
- Experiments (Phase 3)
- Publication of research findings
The THA research project PSY-A-EYE will receive funding of approximately 290,000 euros from the Bavarian Ministry of Science as part of the seventh funding round of the program to promote applied research and development at universities of applied sciences and technical universities.
Insights into Project Work
May 2025
Insa Schaffernak, M.Sc., a research assistant at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences working on the PSY-A-EYE research project, was accepted as a fellow at the Graduate Center of the bidt (BAdW) for the class of 2025:
May 2025
The 22nd European Congress on Work and Organizational Psychology took place in Prague from May 21 to 24, 2025. The congress brought together researchers from across Europe to discuss the future of work, psychology, and technology. As part of the program, Insa Schaffernak had the opportunity to chair a symposium on the transformative role of AI in various professional contexts and to present her own findings from an interview study on the sociotechnical dynamics of AI implementation in ophthalmology. The conference featured stimulating discussions on the role of AI in the workplace of tomorrow and provided valuable opportunities to meet with leading researchers in the field.
March 2025
At the 1st International Workshop “Understanding, Controlling, and Designing Human-AI Interactions,” held March 24–26 at the University of Freiburg, Insa Schaffernak provided insights into her doctoral project, PSY-A-EYE. About 40 researchers from around the world gathered to discuss, from an interdisciplinary and human-centered perspective, how collaboration between humans and AI can be designed. Particularly noteworthy were the inspiring keynote speeches and a lively poster session, during which Insa Schaffernak presented findings from two of her studies on the integration of artificial intelligence into ophthalmology.
Project Leadership
| Prof. Dr. habil. Eva Lermer-Spitzweg | |
| Executive Board, Division for Excellence in Research and Academia, Liberal Arts and Sciences, THA Graduate School | |
| eva.lermer@tha.de |
Project Members
| Insa Schaffernak, M.Sc. | |
| Ph.D. Candidate | |
| Research Assistant | |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | |
| insa.schaffernak@tha.de | |
| Homepage |
Funding
Funding Program to Strengthen Applied Research at Bavarian Universities
Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts
External Partners
| deepeye Medical GmbH | |
| Manuel Opitz | |
| Founder and CEO | |
| Paul-Heyse-Str. 2-4 | |
| 80336 Munich | |
| office@deepeye-medical.com | |
| Website (external) |
| Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) of Munich | |
| Dr. Anne-Kathrin Kleine | |
| Project Director of "Human-AI Interaction in Healthcare" | |
| Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1 | |
| 80539 Munich | |
| Anne-Kathrin.Kleine@psy.lmu.de | |
| Website (external) |
| University College London | |
| Global Business School for Health | |
| Dr. Susanne Gaube | |
| susanne.gaube@ucl.ac.uk |
Further Information
THA AI Production Network