Perspectives on sustainability in ophthalmology
Reviewed by Sofia Rokerya

This was a prospective study of a multi-item survey aimed to assess and analyse patients’ perception of sustainability and the role of healthcare in general, and ophthalmology in particular. Levels of agreement were measured using a Likert scale. 105 patients were included in the survey (44% female, median age 74 years, age range 31–91 years); 36% of the participants were younger than 70 years of age. Overall, 50% of patients used public or active transportation (e.g. bicycle or walking), 36% took a car and 14% travelled by taxi/ambulance transport. There was high agreement on statements that anthropogenic climate change is an urgent issue, requires action (94%) and is impacting population health (85%). Patients supported advocacy for climate change mitigation and adaptation (92%) and vouched for public policy initiatives addressing climate change driven by ophthalmologists (84%), ophthalmology societies (93%) and the legislator (89%). Patients aged ≥70 years agreed significantly more than younger patients that healthcare plays an important role in fighting climate change. A similar trend was observed for females compared to male patients. Female and older patients also tended to express greater expectations for ophthalmologists to advocate for sustainability. A trend was observed for patients travelling by public or active transport, who agreed more with statements on anthropogenic climate change compared to patients travelling by car. The latter group also asked for more advocacy from ophthalmologists, ophthalmology societies and legislators. These differences were not clearly seen when comparing patients travelling by taxi/ambulance transport with patients travelling by public or active transport. Interestingly, while patients asked for ophthalmologists’ advocacy for healthy public policy, ophthalmologists were more reluctant regarding their own advocacy with only 57% agreeing. Compared to patients, ophthalmologists more strongly endorsed the need to make their everyday practice more environmentally sustainable (74% vs 88%). No clear trend was observed as to whether the healthcare sector is taking sufficient measures to become more sustainable and whether the carbon footprint of ophthalmology is smaller compared to other specialties (44% and 33% disagreed; 41% and 63% strongly agreed, respectively). More patients than ophthalmologists believed that ophthalmology has a smaller carbon footprint than other specialties (63% vs 15%). In conclusion, patients showed strong awareness of anthropogenic climate change and the need for ophthalmology to become more sustainable.

Patients’ perspectives on climate change, health, and sustainability in ophthalmology.
Yang-Seeger D, Schellstede A, Pauleikhoff LJB, et al. 
OPHTHALMOLOGICA 
2026;249(1):1–7.