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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDJAMA network open

Trends in Ophthalmic Hospital Transfers and Consultations Across US Academic Centers

  • Shu Feng1
  • Karine D. Bojikian1
  • Thellea K. Leveque1
  • Jacquelyn O’Banion2
  • Daniel B. Moore3
  • Donna H. Kim4
  • Andrew T. Melson5
  • Samuel J. Prater6
  • Ore-ofe Adesina7
  • Daniel J. Ozzello8
  • Jeremy Reitinger9
  • Ayaka Fujihashi9
6 more authors
  • Joseph Bogaard9
  • Theresa M. Long10
  • Manasvee S. Kapadia11
  • Douglas J. Rhee11
  • Leona Ding1
  • Jennifer T. Yu1
11 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
  2. 2Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
  3. 3Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington
  4. 4Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland
  5. 5Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. Oklahoma City
  6. 6Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  7. 7Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  8. 8Department of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado, Aurora
  9. 9Department of Ophthalmology, University of Indiana, Indianapolis
  10. 10Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, John Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City
  11. 11Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve, Cleveland, Ohio
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Abstract

Importance: Academic medical centers increasingly serve as a safety net for urgent and complex ophthalmic conditions, yet trends in the demand for hospital-based ophthalmic services remain poorly characterized.

Objective: To characterize multi-institutional trends in ophthalmology interhospital transfer requests and emergency department (ED) and inpatient ophthalmology consultation requests (hereafter, consultations) from other departments within the same hospital, such as emergency medicine or internal medicine, at multiple academic medical centers in the US.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, longitudinal, cohort study involved 14 hospitals affiliated with 10 academic medical centers across multiple geographic regions in the US, representing large urban tertiary referral centers serving diverse catchment populations. Participants were patients for whom ED and inpatient interhospital transfers for ophthalmic care were requested and/or accepted, and patients who received inpatient or ED ophthalmic consultation at participating academic medical centers from 2013 through 2024.

Exposure: Participating institutions were required to be academic hospitals with resident participation in on-call coverage and to maintain hospital transfer or consultation data from at least 2017 onward, with the earliest beginning in 2013.

Main Outcomes and Measures: Trends in population-adjusted and hospital volume-adjusted rates of ophthalmology interhospital transfer requests and ED and inpatient ophthalmology consultations.

Results: A total of 32 131 ophthalmology transfer requests, 23 560 accepted transfers, and 139 356 ophthalmology consultations (83 581 ED and 44 472 inpatient) were recorded across participating hospitals. Transfer requests increased by an aggregate 0.66 (95% CI, 0.51-0.81) per 100 000 state residents per year and accepted transfers by 0.34 per 100 000 state residents per year (95% CI, 0.17-0.51). Among the 7 institutions with consultation data, consultations increased by an aggregate 3.01 per 100 000 state residents per year (95% CI, 2.33-3.69), comprising 2.06 per 100 000 per year for ED consultations (95% CI, 1.51-2.61) and 1.08 per 100 000 per year for inpatient consultations (95% CI, 0.87-1.30). All aggregate trends were significant (false-discovery rate–adjusted P < .001).

Conclusions: In this cohort study, ophthalmic interhospital transfer requests and inpatient and ED ophthalmology consultations increased substantially across academic medical centers over the study period. These trends suggest growing demand for hospital-based ophthalmic care and increasing strain on ophthalmology hospital coverage, with important implications for workforce sustainability and health system planning.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{feng2026trends,
  title = {{Trends in Ophthalmic Hospital Transfers and Consultations Across US Academic Centers}},
  author = {Shu Feng and Karine D. Bojikian and Thellea K. Leveque and Jacquelyn O’Banion and Daniel B. Moore and Donna H. Kim and Andrew T. Melson and Samuel J. Prater and Ore-ofe Adesina and Daniel J. Ozzello and Jeremy Reitinger and Ayaka Fujihashi and Joseph Bogaard and Theresa M. Long and Manasvee S. Kapadia and Douglas J. Rhee and Leona Ding and Jennifer T. Yu},
  journal = {JAMA network open},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.40040},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13654135},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Trends in Ophthalmic Hospital Transfers and Consultations Across US Academic Centers
AU  - Shu Feng
AU  - Karine D. Bojikian
AU  - Thellea K. Leveque
AU  - Jacquelyn O’Banion
AU  - Daniel B. Moore
AU  - Donna H. Kim
AU  - Andrew T. Melson
AU  - Samuel J. Prater
AU  - Ore-ofe Adesina
AU  - Daniel J. Ozzello
AU  - Jeremy Reitinger
AU  - Ayaka Fujihashi
AU  - Joseph Bogaard
AU  - Theresa M. Long
AU  - Manasvee S. Kapadia
AU  - Douglas J. Rhee
AU  - Leona Ding
AU  - Jennifer T. Yu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - JAMA network open
DO  - 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.40040
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13654135
AB  - Importance: Academic medical centers increasingly serve as a safety net for urgent and complex ophthalmic conditions, yet trends in the demand for hospital-based ophthalmic services remain poorly characterized.  Objective: To characterize multi-institutional trends in ophthalmology interhospital transfer requests and emergency department (ED) and inpatient ophthalmology consultation requests (hereafter, consultations) from other departments within the same hospital, such as emergency medicine or internal medicine, at multiple academic medical centers in the US.  Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective, longitudinal, cohort study involved 14 hospitals affiliated with 10 academic medical centers across multiple geographic regions in the US, representing large urban tertiary referral centers serving diverse catchment populations. Participants were patients for whom ED and inpatient interhospital transfers for ophthalmic care were requested and/or accepted, and patients who received inpatient or ED ophthalmic consultation at participating academic medical centers from 2013 through 2024.  Exposure: Participating institutions were required to be academic hospitals with resident participation in on-call coverage and to maintain hospital transfer or consultation data from at least 2017 onward, with the earliest beginning in 2013.  Main Outcomes and Measures: Trends in population-adjusted and hospital volume-adjusted rates of ophthalmology interhospital transfer requests and ED and inpatient ophthalmology consultations.  Results: A total of 32 131 ophthalmology transfer requests, 23 560 accepted transfers, and 139 356 ophthalmology consultations (83 581 ED and 44 472 inpatient) were recorded across participating hospitals. Transfer requests increased by an aggregate 0.66 (95% CI, 0.51-0.81) per 100 000 state residents per year and accepted transfers by 0.34 per 100 000 state residents per year (95% CI, 0.17-0.51). Among the 7 institutions with consultation data, consultations increased by an aggregate 3.01 per 100 000 state residents per year (95% CI, 2.33-3.69), comprising 2.06 per 100 000 per year for ED consultations (95% CI, 1.51-2.61) and 1.08 per 100 000 per year for inpatient consultations (95% CI, 0.87-1.30). All aggregate trends were significant (false-discovery rate–adjusted P < .001).  Conclusions: In this cohort study, ophthalmic interhospital transfer requests and inpatient and ED ophthalmology consultations increased substantially across academic medical centers over the study period. These trends suggest growing demand for hospital-based ophthalmic care and increasing strain on ophthalmology hospital coverage, with important implications for workforce sustainability and health system planning.
SN  - 2574-3805
ER  -