Key Takeaways

  • Ophthalmology transfer requests and hospital consultations increased significantly across US academic medical centers from 2013 to 2024

  • Findings highlight increasing pressure on hospital-based ophthalmology coverage and the need for workforce planning

Demand for hospital-based ophthalmic care has increased significantly across US academic medical centers, according to a retrospective multicenter study published October 1, 2026, in JAMA Network Open.1

The study, led by Shu Feng, MD, and colleagues, analyzed trends in interhospital ophthalmology transfers and emergency department (ED) and inpatient consultations at 14 hospitals affiliated with 10 academic medical centers between 2013 and 2024. Researchers examined 32,131 ophthalmology transfer requests, 23,560 accepted transfers, and 139,356 ophthalmology consultations across participating institutions.

Transfer requests increased by an aggregate 0.66 per 100,000 state residents annually, while accepted transfers increased by 0.34 per 100,000 residents annually.

Among 7 institutions with consultation data, ophthalmology consultations increased by 3.01 per 100,000 state residents annually. ED consultations increased by 2.06 per 100,000 residents per year, while inpatient consultations increased by 1.08 per 100,000 residents annually.

All aggregate trends were statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons (P<.001).

The findings suggest that academic medical centers are facing growing demand for urgent and complex ophthalmic services, potentially increasing pressure on ophthalmologists providing hospital-based coverage.

The investigators noted that academic hospitals frequently serve as referral centers for patients requiring specialized ophthalmic evaluation and treatment. Increasing transfer and consultation volumes may therefore have implications for staffing, resident coverage, and the organization of emergency ophthalmic services.

The study was limited to participating academic institutions, which may affect the generalizability of its findings to community hospitals and other practice settings. The authors concluded that rising demand for ophthalmic hospital services warrants attention to workforce sustainability and health system planning to maintain access to timely specialty care.

Reference

1. Feng S, et al. Trends in Ophthalmic Hospital Transfers and Consultations Across US Academic Centers. JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(10):e2640040. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.40040