Systematic measures of eye disease and care gaps

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the limitations section and limitations of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Dissemination and implementation science for global ophthalmology: closing the last-mile translational gap (2026) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi

  systematic measures of eye disease and care gaps in the US are absent, outdated, methodologically flawed, or too narrow in scope, - the success of the PEC program was shaped by Rwanda-specific contextual enablers that may not be present or reproducible elsewhere, - few AI studies in ophthalmology have demonstrated benefit in prospective, real-world clinical settings or reported patient-level health outcomes

  generallimitations section
  Keywords: systematic measures eye disease care gaps absent outdated
• The effects of COVID-19 infection on ophthalmologic findings in pregnant women: a prospective controlled observational study (2026) · International Ophthalmology · doi

  The prospective design, inclusion of a control group, and use of standardized imaging devices constitute key strengths of this study [19, 20]. However, sev- eral limitations should be acknowledged. The single- center design and relatively small sample size may limit the generalizability of our findings. In addition, a priori power analysis was not performed; therefore, the study may have been underpowered to detect small or subtle differences. Accordingly, the findings should be interpreted with caution, and larger stud- ies are warranted. Only non-severe COVID-19 cases were included, which may partly explain the absence of observed retinal microvascular changes. Given that systemic inflammation is more pronounced in patients with severe and critical COVID-19, the results derived from this cohort cannot be extrapo- lated to more severely affected populations. Further- more, the lack of stratification by disease severity or treatment modalities (e.g., anticoagulant or steroid use), the absence of systemic inflammatory marker assessment, and the exclusive focus on thickness- based parameters represent additional limitations. Additionally, OCT angiography was not performed, as it is an advanced imaging modality and there was no clinical indication for OCT angiography based on OCT macular scans and fundoscopic examinations. Finally, the observational nature of the study pre- cludes causal inference.

  generallimitationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: design imaging limitations small performed severe covid absence systemic based angiography prospective inclusion control group
• Ocular manifestations of COVID-19: a systematic and narrative literature review (2026) · Klinika Oczna · doi

  This review has several inherent limitations. First, the included studies exhibit substantial heterogeneity in study design, population characteristics, diagnostic methods, and outcome reporting, which limits the ability to perform quan- titative synthesis or meta-analysis. Many original studies were retrospective, with small sample sizes, increasing the risk of selection bias and reducing the generalizability of findings. Second, publication bias may have influenced the available evidence, as studies reporting significant or unusual ocular manifestations are more likely to be published. Third, data on long-term ocular outcomes and rare complications remain limited, restricting conclusions regarding chronic or delayed effects of COVID-19 on the eye. Another limitation is the search strategy; by focusing on broad keywords such as “eye diseases” and “conjunctivitis,” some reports concern- ing very rare or specific ocular complications might have been underrepresented in the initial search results. Finally, the review was not registered in PROSPERO, which may affect transparency, although the methodology strictly fol- lowed PRISMA guidelines. Despite these constraints, this systematic review enhances understanding of ocular involve- ment in COVID-19 and highlights directions for high-quality prospective studies. CONCLUSIONS Ocular manifestations of COVID-19, although less fre- quent than respiratory symptoms, represent an important component of the clinical presentation. They most com- monly involve the ocular surface but may also include reti- nal and neuro-ophthalmic changes. Observed disturbances may result from ACE2 receptor expression in ocular tissues and microangiopathic changes induced by infection. Further prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term ophthalmic consequences of COVID-19. Understanding the ocular aspects of COVID-19 is significant not only diagnosti- cally but also epidemiologically, enabling early identification of infection and reduction of viral transmission. DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflict of interest. This research received no external funding. Approval of the Bioethics Committee was not required.

  generallimitationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: ocular covid review reporting bias significant manifestations long term rare complications conclusions search understanding involve

Questions about this gap