Global Ophthalmology Trends

Innovation drives better patient outcomes in ophthalmology. Ensuring ethical collaboration with industry, addressing regional, demographic, and environmental barriers, and developing guidelines for integrating new technologies are among the challenges ophthalmologists must address for continued progress, according to global ophthalmology society leaders.

Collaborating with industry

Reconciling ophthalmic specialty societies’ varied interests, including education and practice guideline development, with industry activities requires transparency, said Stephen McLeod MD. “Even though there is a tremendous overlap in our interests and activities, we want to make sure that is appropriately communicated and coordinated with industry, and that our role in it is independent. [So,] where there is overlap in our interactions, it is very transparent.” The Council of Medical Specialty Societies has established a code for interaction with companies¹ that the American Academy of Ophthalmology follows, he noted.

Nicole Eter MD agreed. “Disclosure is the key, not only in terms of what you can do with technology provided by industry, but also research and how societies can link doctors, researchers, and patients” to develop and implement new care solutions.

Specialty societies should push for industry participation in public registries rather than keep technology research and outcomes data collection in-house, added Béatrice Cochener-Lamard MD, PhD. She also emphasised collaborating with patients in new product and technique development.

Regional barriers

As in other fields, globalisation is a major force in ophthalmology. However, regional barriers, including access disparities, workforce shortages, regulatory issues, and infrastructure gaps, interfere. Ophthalmic societies can help ensure consistent standards of care and innovation adoption across diverse areas, said Filomena Ribeiro MD, PhD. “Societies have a real role in [gathering] all the research in different areas to share knowledge [and] provide the same standard of care and access.”

Over the past 20 years, there have been improvements, particularly in education, said Francis S Mah MD. “Obviously, there are areas that we still need to grow. The biggest challenge now is access.” Access to providers, technology, and new medications are all major concerns, even in higher income countries, he noted.

However, developments such as border conflicts and tightening visa requirements are affecting knowledge sharing by making it harder to attend international conferences, said Ronald Yeoh MBBS. “I don’t know how we address these geopolitical issues.”

Promoting the capacity of organisations such as ESCRS to enrol international participants can help, Dr Ribeiro said.

Sustainability

Efforts to reduce waste—such as making appropriate use of disposable instruments and promoting local manufacturing—could go a long way toward making ophthalmic surgery more environmentally friendly, but require regulators to get involved, Dr Cochener-Lamard said. Making better use of AI and remote monitoring could also reduce follow-up visits that waste not only physical resources, but also patients’ and caregivers’ time, noted Luis Abegão Pinto MD, PhD.

Demographics

Perhaps the greatest challenges facing ophthalmic innovation are demographic changes. Boosting efficiency, efficacy, and productivity will be required to keep up with populations that are increasingly ageing, chronically ill, and diverse.

“It’s a numbers game,” Dr McLeod said. “What it comes down to is [whether] our healthcare systems and the technologies we use [are] up to the challenge.”

But people tend to think of this challenge as a technology question when it is actually more a matter of efficiency, effectiveness, and cost. Getting care to patients where they are comfortable with it and can get to it is just as crucial; That means reaching out to primary care, pharmacies, and other partners.

Lack of information about eye diseases and treatment options is another major challenge, said Newton Andrade Jr MD. “The biggest problem of blindness is not glaucoma, it is not cataracts, it is ignorance.”

A change of mindset is needed, Dr Andrade added. “We think much more [about] how to develop new devices than how to make access to them. We think of how to make more precise surgeries—like 0.25 mm incisions—when there are people who are blind from cataracts.”

More must be done to inform and serve the public, Dr Andrade said, which includes working with politicians to make eye care a bigger public issue and raise awareness. AI and other technologies (e.g., telemedicine) have a critical role to play, but innovation must be directed at finding and meeting patient needs. “AI won’t replace what we have to do.”

All comments were made at iNovation Day during the 2025 ESCRS Annual Congress in Copenhagen.

Stephen McLeod MD is CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Ronald Yeoh MBBS, FRCOphth is past president and current board member of the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS).

Francis S Mah MD is president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS).

Nicole Eter MD is president of the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA).

Filomena Ribeiro MD, PhD, FEBO is immediate past president of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS).

Newton Andrade Jr MD is president of the Brazilian Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (BRASCRS).

Béatrice Cochener-Lamard MD, PhD is past president of the European Society of Cornea and Ocular Disease Specialists (EUCORNEA) and the ESCRS.

Luis Abegão Pinto MD, PhD, FEBOS-G is vice president of the European Glaucoma Society (EGS).

1. Council of Medical Specialty Societies Code for Interaction with Companies, https://cmss.org/standards/cmss-code-for-interactions-with-companies/