Eye health experts seek to refresh eye research priorities
Eye experts across the UK are calling for your input into a new survey designed to refresh the James Lind Alliance Sight Loss and Vision research priorities that were first published in 2013. Despite on-going eye research taking place across the world, there are still many questions about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sight loss and eye conditions that remain unanswered. Funding for research is limited, so it is important for research funders to understand the unanswered questions of greatest importance to patients, relatives, carers and eye health professionals so that future research can be targeted accordingly.
Following a review of the existing eye research priorities by the NIHR Ophthalmology Specialty group and the UK Clinical Eye Research Strategy earlier this year, a survey has been developed to help fine tune which of the 98 potential research questions should be taken forward as part of the refresh.
Professor Rupert Bourne, NIHR National Specialty Lead for Ophthalmology said:
“It’s almost 10 years since the UK last published its eye research priorities and progress has been made in learning more about each of those 12 key areas that were set at the time. This survey is designed to help us assess whether these are still the right priorities for us to be focusing our attention on, and to delve deeper into some of those, or whether there are new areas of eye research that we now need to make a priority.
We are encouraging all those with an interest in eye health and research to take part in the survey to help shape the direction of future eye research.”
The Eye Research Priority survey is open to all eye healthcare professionals and researchers as well as patients, carers and members of the public to participate in; and will be open until 9 August 2022. The survey feedback will inform the final Top 10 updated priorities across different eye sub-specialties.
About the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
- Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
- Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
- Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
- Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
- Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
- Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
- Ophthalmology is a rapidly growing research area in the UK recruiting 10-15,000 patients into research trials annually and involving most NHS trusts. Ophthalmology has the largest demand on outpatient departments in the country and this is increasing.
Learn about the work of the NIHR Ophthalmology Specialty.
The UK Clinical Eye Research Strategy will help tailor research to meet this demand, exploring the areas of unmet need in the population and facilitating a non-commercial and commercial ‘research pipeline’ of therapies and technologies, which should encourage more coordinated funding streams.
With thanks to our funding partners for supporting the work of the UK Clinical Eye Research Strategy:
- Macular Society
- Fight for Sight
- Moorfields Eye Charity
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