Clinical Registries in Ophthalmology

Topic: Clinical registries in ophthalmology.

Clinical relevance: In recent years, advancements in digital technology and increasing use of electronic medical records in health systems have led to the dramatic growth in large clinical data sets. Clinical data registries are organized systems that collect data on patients diagnosed with a disease or condition or who undergo a certain procedure.

Methods: A search of the PUBMED database was conducted in January 2018 for clinical registries in ophthalmology.

Results: Ninety-seven clinical eye registries were found, with significant growth in numbers in the last 4 decades. The most common conditions captured were blindness or low vision, corneal transplantation, glaucoma, and cataract surgery. Most registries originate in the European region, North America, and Australia. Nine registries had multinational coverage, whereas 48 were national registries. As the numbers and scope of clinical registries have expanded, valuable observational data have been used to study real-world clinical outcomes in healthcare quality measurement and improvement and to develop new guidelines and standards. Pertinent areas of its use include studying treatments and outcomes in cataract surgery, corneal transplantation, and macular degeneration.

Conclusions: The use of clinical registries for quality improvement and research has grown significantly in the last few decades, and this trend will continue as information technology infrastructures develop.