It’s the perfect storm. The number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the United States is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050, while the number of practicing ophthalmologists is rapidly declining. Today, is a more robust collaborative care model across optometry and ophthalmology becoming imperative?
The Problem for Ophthalmology
According to a recent study, ‘Ophthalmology Workforce Projections in the U.S., 2020-2035,’ researchers crunched data from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, to conclude that the total number of ophthalmologists in the U.S. is projected to decrease by 2,650 full-time practitioners (12% decline) over this time period.
At the same time, total demand is projected to increase by 5,150 full-time ophthalmologists (24% increase), representing a supply-and-demand mismatch of 30% workforce inadequacy. The study concludes: “By year 2035, ophthalmology is projected to have the second-worst rate of workforce adequacy (70%) of 38 medical and surgical specialties studied.”
A Boom for Optometry + Patients
Conversely, on the optometry side, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says: “Employment for optometrists is projected to grow 8 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 2,400 openings for optometrists are projected each year, on average, over the decade [from 2024 to 2034].”
Meanwhile, the number of vision care patients is expected to explode. “With the youngest of the baby boomers hitting 65 by 2029, the number of people with visual impairment or blindness in the United States is expected to double to more than 8 million by 2050,” according to the National Eye Institute.
These astounding statistics illustrate a profound problem for vision care—a growing number of patients will be met by a declining number of eye care professionals. Altogether, this reality points to a distinct need to implement collaborative eye care.
“My Number One reason collaborative care is necessary is because we have a lot of patients to take care of,” says Mitch Ibach, OD, FAAO, of Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D. “We’re going to do 5 million cataract surgeries in the U.S. in the next year or two. Your average surgeon is going to have to add 100 to 200 cataract surgeries per year. Collaborative care is going to be so necessary because the patient volumes will just dictate that.”
“We’re going to do 5 million cataract surgeries in the U.S. in the next year or two. Your average surgeon is going to have to add 100 to 200 cataract surgeries per year. Collaborative care is going to be so necessary because the patient volumes will just dictate that.”
Mitch Ibach, OD, FAAO
Two Models: Referrals + Integrated Management
Further statistics bear out the need for collaboration. “As the prevalence of cataracts continues to rise, the increasing demand for cataract surgery may surpass the availability of ophthalmologists,” according to a September 2025 study on optometry co-management.
According to the study, collaboration between optometrists and ophthalmologists occurs through two primary models: referral-based and integrated management. The authors indicate that direct referrals from optometrists to ophthalmologists improve surgical listing rates and streamline patient care.
However, integrated models enhance efficiency by incorporating optometrists into ophthalmology practices, allowing ophthalmologists to focus on surgical interventions. The study notes: “Postoperative care co-managed by optometrists has demonstrated mostly favorable visual outcomes, with 86% of patients achieving 20/40 vision or better and low postoperative complication rates.”
Overall, the study notes that co-management can enhance surgical efficiency, improve patient access, and alleviate workforce shortages: “Future efforts should focus on creating best-practice guidelines for standardizing training, shared ethical responsibility, and ensuring high-quality, patient-centered care.”
“By year 2035, ophthalmology is projected to have the second-worst rate of workforce adequacy (70%) of 38 medical and surgical specialties studied.”
Ophthalmology Workforce Projections in the U.S., 2020-2035 study
Collaborative Care 101: Start with Communication
If you’ve decided to embark upon a collaborative care journey, experts say that communication is key to getting started and maintaining a practice.
“I can’t say enough about the importance of communication,” says Justin Schweitzer, OD, also of Vance Thompson Vision. “From an optometry standpoint, find an ophthalmologist in your region who has the same mindset you do in regard to how you want to deliver patient care. Reach out to them. Have a discussion and be very clear in your communication of what you expect for the patients that you’re going to be sending their way.”
Dr. Ibach agrees that much of collaborative care is based in communication. “When growing relationships between an optometrist and an ophthalmologist, communication is such a key in the beginning and then building trust on how we’re going to take care of this patient in a teamwork approach rather than this fear of if I send my patient out, I’m not going to get them back. The more the two professions work together, the more trust is built between providers.”
Collaborative Care 101: Time Management Comes Next
When Sheryl Simms, OD, opened Urban Optique & Eyecare in Chandler, Ariz., 20 years ago, collaborative care was the goal. Along with communication, she says time management was necessary when building a collaborative model—not just with ophthalmologists but with other area professionals as well.
“Opening cold, I started learning a little bit more about communicating, not just with the public and patients, but also with other optometrists, ophthalmologists, and other doctors in the field in general,” says Dr. Simms. “I’d reach out to pediatricians in the area about myopia management. I would reach out to rheumatologists. There was good exchange between dry eye patients needing extra care. Follow-through is obviously very important.”
What followed was the need to address time management. “The hard part is I was very busy in my office,” Dr. Simms says. “You have to get away from the practice sometimes too and set aside time.”
Collaborative Care 101: Engage + Educate Staff
Dr. Simms also stresses the need to engage staff in the process. “My staff is exceptional, so I’m very fortunate because they’re very interested in the field,” she says. “They’re interested in learning. They communicate well with patients and sometimes go over to the ophthalmologists and communicate with staff members of those groups. There’s a lot of information that is already out there and available to us. Conferences, online, AAOMC, ScleralLens.org—those are places where we can get material.”
Dr. Schweitzer sees collaboration at meetings as well. “If I go to the American Optometric Association meeting, there are ophthalmologists there providing education as well as mostly optometrists,” he says. “There’s more collaboration from an educational standpoint.”
“It’s going to continue to evolve in a positive direction of more collaboration. Mainly because both sides are realizing the sheer number of patients we’re all seeing.”
Justin Schweizer, OD
Where Is Collaborative Care Headed?
With all this momentum, collaborative care is destined to grow. “It’s going to continue to evolve in a positive direction of more collaboration,” says Dr. Schweitzer. “Mainly because both sides are realizing the sheer number of patients we’re all seeing. Most would say ‘I don’t have a lack of patients in my clinic right now.’”
“Both the optometry and the ophthalmology professions should know there’s a real opportunity for growth from collaborative care,” adds Dr. Ibach. “Optometry can become more collaborative by becoming more ocular disease and pathology focused—and surgically focused as far as referrals and management go. Ophthalmology can grow by doing a higher volume of surgical patients. Both professions can have a growth mindset and benefit from collaborating.”
Insight Media Exclusive Q+A
There’s an App for That: Collaborative Care
Introduced at Vision Expo 2026, ZEISS Collaborative Care provides a browser-based software application to enable eye care professionals to seamlessly work together, securely sharing data and referring patients—regardless of their current digital infrastructure.
The new digital application enables eye care professionals to consult with peers via chat in real time and through email, securely exchange images and patient data, and send and prioritize referrals through a secure browser-based system, building stronger professional connections and trust between optometrists and ophthalmologists.
ZEISS Collaborative Care is delivered as an application of the ZEISS Healthcare Data Platform, which provides the secure cloud foundation behind the company’s digital solutions. Practices may use it as a standalone cloud solution or as a connected extension of ZEISS FORUM, allowing diagnostic data, images, and insights to flow seamlessly from on-premises systems into secure, browser-based collaboration spaces.
To learn more about why ZEISS has determined that now is the time to introduce software enabling collaborative care among eye care professionals, Insight Media interviewed Anuj Kalra, Head of Chronic Disease Management at ZEISS Medical Technology.
INSIGHT MEDIA: Why is collaborative care so important for eye care right now?
ANUJ KALRA: Eye care is becoming more complex, with patients often moving between optometrists, ophthalmologists, and subspecialists as diseases are detected earlier and managed over longer periods of time. At the same time, traditional referral and communication methods such as fax, unsecured email, or disconnected systems can slow care and introduce inefficiencies. Collaborative care helps eye care professionals stay connected across the care continuum, enabling timely, secure sharing of clinical information and clearer coordination between providers, enhancing clinical efficiency and the patient experience.
IM: What are the biggest hurdles to collaborative care, and how can eye care professionals overcome them?
AK: The biggest barrier isn’t technology, it’s fragmentation—different systems, workflows, and habits across practices making collaboration feel difficult to coordinate. When collaboration fits naturally into existing workflows, using solutions that are system‑agnostic and accessible through standard web technologies, it becomes an enabler rather than a burden. Also, some clinicians worry that collaboration will add steps to already busy days. But, in practice, collaborative care saves time because it simplifies referrals, reduces back‑and‑forth communication, and improves clarity around next steps. Finally, there can be hesitation around changing longstanding referral patterns. Building trust through transparent communication, clear clinical value, and consistent use helps collaborative care become part of routine practice.
IM: What do U.S. eye care professionals need to know right now to implement collaborative care?
AK: What eye care professionals in the United States need to know right now is that collaborative care does not require a fundamental disruption to how they practice. It integrates seamlessly into existing clinical workflows, enabling secure, browser‑based sharing of diagnostic information and referrals without complex installations or heavy IT demands. Equally important, the goal of collaborative care must be about alignment and clear expectations between professionals around referral criteria, communication roles, and follow‑up responsibilities to ensure collaboration enhances care. Finally, data security and patient privacy must remain foundational—any collaborative approach should support encrypted data exchange and meet applicable U.S. regulatory requirements.