Access to Ophthalmologists Improved From 2014 to 2024

MONDAY, Nov. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Overall access to ophthalmologists improved from 2014 to 2024, according to a research letter published online Nov. 13 in JAMA Ophthalmology.Peter R. Kastl, M.D., Ph.D., from Tulane University in New Orleans, and colleagues calculated distances patients must travel to reach an optometrist or ophthalmologist. The analysis included data from the Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File from June 2014 and June 2024.The researchers found that the number of optometrists grew between 2014 and 2024. There was a slight decrease in the number of ophthalmologists, although the number of practices significantly increased, suggesting that ophthalmologists are now practicing in a greater number of locations. This results in fewer isolated optometrist practices (no ophthalmologist in the same ZIP code as the optometrist) in 2024 compared with 2014. Eighteen truly isolated optometrist practices were identified in 2024 in Hawaii and Alaska. The mean distance from isolated optometrist practices to closest ophthalmologist practices slightly declined from 12 to 11 miles from 2014 to 2024, indicating better overall access to ophthalmologists."Our data do not support the premise that there is a need to extend optometrists' privileges based on traveling distance to ophthalmologists," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter