As 2024 winds down, we find ourselves looking ahead. Technological advancements in optometry seem to be coming fast and furious, don’t they? From artificial intelligence and wearable tech to 3D printing and genetic testing, the future of optometry is positively brimming with innovation.
Let’s take a moment to consider the advancements set to revolutionize the field over the next decade.
Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostics
Surprise, surprise, AI makes the top of our list. Imagine having a digital assistant that can analyze retinal images with pinpoint accuracy, flagging potential issues before they become serious problems. That’s the promise of AI in optometry, as we’ve written about before. Advanced AI algorithms are being developed to detect conditions like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration at their earliest stages.
Recommended reads:
AI Comes of Age. Decades of promise are finally starting to pay off.
Teleoptometry Expansion
Another topic that keeps rising to the forefront: teleoptometry. Telehealth has been a game-changer since the pandemic, and optometry will continue to make inroads. As you’re no doubt aware, the big positives for teleoptometry relate to reaching vulnerable or underserved patients, reducing wait times, and remotely monitoring chronic conditions. Advances in home monitoring devices will help in this area, too.
But the primary concerns and hesitations are:
- Quality of care and technical/diagnostic limitations. How can you be sure you’re meeting the same standards as an in-person examination?
- Navigating compliance for telehealth regulations, including licensure requirements, billing requirements, and insurance reimbursement policies.
- Data security, privacy, and ensuring HIPAA compliance for telehealth.
- Integrating telehealth services with your existing EHR systems.
Due diligence is the order of the day. Anyone employing teleoptometry in their practice will want to ensure it’s done effectively and appropriately. We can also look to companies who are already making a name for themselves in this arena: DigitalOptometrics, EyecareLive, TeleEyes, to name a few.
Recommended reads:
How the AOA’s Updated Position Statement Can Help Guide Telemedicine in Optometry
The Future of Telehealth in Primary Eye Care
Vision Enhancement Wearables
Smart glasses are no longer a thing of science fiction. Companies are developing eyewear equipped with augmented reality features that can assist patients with low vision, provide real-time translations, and even offer navigation assistance. A few examples:
- EYE6 AI-powered smart glasses with a virtual assistant named Ivy
- MyEye portable, artificial vision device that attaches to glasses
- Science Corporation’s retinal implant, which allowed people who lost their central vision to read, play cards, and recognize faces
- Mark Zuckerberg on why smart glasses will replace smartphones
- AI-powered smart eyewear
Here’s some food for thought: Will these technologies be within reach for all our patients, or do they risk widening the gap between those who can afford them and those who cannot? Can we advocate for more inclusive pricing and insurance coverage to ensure equitable access?
Advanced Contact Lenses
Contact lenses will get a high-tech makeover. Researchers are working on lenses that can monitor intraocular pressure, deliver medications, and even adjust focus automatically. Smart contact lenses with embedded sensors could provide continuous monitoring for glaucoma patients, alerting them and their healthcare providers to any concerning changes. The core technology for 3D-printed smart contacts capable of augmented reality navigation has already been developed.
Recommended reads:
Modern Optometry periodically features “What’s New in Contact Lenses.”
Contact Lens Spectrum is a good source for keeping up with new technologies as are optometry conferences.
OCT Enhancements
OCT has been a staple in your diagnostic toolkit, but advancements are taking it to new heights. The development of portable OCT devices means you can bring this powerful imaging technology directly to patients, whether in a clinic setting or during community outreach programs. One UK company is developing a portable OCT system that “uses photonic integrated circuits to miniaturize a tabletop’s-worth of expensive and fragile optical components onto a single coin-sized chip.” This year, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awarded a WashU team up to $20 million to create a portable OCT system not limited by scan-speed or field-of-view.
Genetic Testing and Gene Therapy
Genetics plays a more significant role in eye conditions than once though, and as genetics makes its way further into optometry, you’ll be able to offer insights into hereditary eye conditions. Understanding a patient’s genetic predispositions (or lack thereof) can help enable you to nail a diagnosis and provide targeted therapies.
Gene therapy refers to introducing, modifying, or repairing genetic material within a patient’s cells to address the root causes of eye diseases. Optogenetics and targeted gene therapies aim to fix malfunctioning cells and show significant promise in personalized medicine for treating inherited retinal diseases. Truly, the stuff of the future.
Recommended read:
Gene Therapy for Glaucoma: Great Potential but a Long Way to Fruition
Brief videos featuring takeaways (with transcripts) re: genetics in optometry at Academy 2024:
- Utilizing technology to diagnose inherited retinal diseases
- Genetics and the cornea
- Simplifying genetic testing
- Honing in on epigenetics
With all these advancements on the horizon, the next decade promises to be an exciting time for optometry. It’ll be interesting to see how ODs harness all these emerging technologies and when it makes sense to adopt them as a mainstay. Balance and, as we said above, due diligence will be key.
