Research Committee is Engine Driving the Future of ESCRS

Medicine advances more and more thanks to the research efforts behind innovations great and small. This is the core assumption behind the work of the ESCRS Research Committee, which is “the brain and heart behind advancing ophthalmic research within the ESCRS community,” according to the committee’s chair, Joaquín Fernández MD, PhD.

The Research Committee does not just decide how much funding to give to a study or a clinical trial, Dr Fernández notes; it aims to nurture research from the very beginning, to support and encourage individuals and groups involved in clinical research, ensuring their work improves science and translates into better patient care. Such commitment to research enhances the prestige of ESCRS and, thus, its influence in the ophthalmic field.

“By supporting groundbreaking research, we help the ESCRS stay at the forefront of clinical innovation and education,” Dr Fernández said.

The main concept driving the Research Committee’s work is evidence-based medicine (EBM). Supporting studies grounded in EBM makes it more likely that physicians will implement the findings in their daily clinical practice and make well-informed decisions for their patients. The studies also help drive innovations in surgical techniques, new standards of care, improved patient outcomes in cataract and refractive surgery and corneal diseases, and systematic reviews and consensus guidelines strongly relying on scientific evidence.

Several Research Committee projects are currently underway, the most important one being the EPICAT study, a multi-arm investigation comparing different interventions during cataract surgery. The preliminary results of EPICAT were presented at the recent ESCRS Annual Congress in Barcelona. “This study is expected to yield critical insights that could change surgical practices globally,” Dr Fernández stated.

Also in Barcelona, the Clinical Research Symposia were fundamental in showcasing the latest research advances and encouraging discussions that could lead to new research initiatives. The Spotlight Symposia on industry-sponsored clinical trials, which are also an important part of the Research Committee’s portfolio of projects, were intended partly to help foster collaboration between academia and industry, which could accelerate the translation of research into clinical practice. To have impact, however, research results need to be communicated properly and effectively. For this reason, the Research Committee also helped produce a medical writing workshop to assist researchers in honing their publication skills and sharing their findings more successfully.

Future projects include establishing specialised working groups focusing on various clinical areas. “These groups are tasked with generating consensus and developing proposals for the scientific community,” Dr Fernández said. The groups will conduct multicentric studies and systematic reviews in collaboration with basic scientific societies, aiming to advance translational research and support the adoption of new technologies and techniques. Specifically, one project will create a unified data collection approach that uses AI and other advanced methodologies to provide ophthalmologists with a reliable data source.

The Research Committee also plays a leading role in the new Functional Vision Working Group and in efforts to create a worldwide consensus on the classification of IOLs. Future projects include implementing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) tools and setting up collaborative platforms with other scientific organisations, regulators, and industries.

According to Dr Fernández, the strength of the Research Committee is its commitment to EBM and its respect for the vision of previous leaderships. “I am immensely proud of the outstanding work initiated under the leadership of Burkhard Dick,” Dr Fernández said. “His exceptional vision and dedication have laid a solid foundation for our committee’s success.”

The capillary efforts of working groups are also fundamental to the committee’s success. “The collaborative spirit and innovative approach of these groups are what make me especially proud and optimistic about the future impact of our committee’s work,” Dr Fernández said.

Dr Fernández summed up the Research Committee’s impact by saying it is like having a powerful engine driving the ESCRS mission and ophthalmology forward. “We are not just supporting research,” he said. “We are shaping the future of eye care.”

Joaquín Fernández Pérez MD, PhD is the CEO and Medical Director in the Ophthalmology Department at Qvisión in Vithas Virgen del Mar Hospital (Almería). He can be reached at joaquinfernandezoft@qvision.es