Making an appointment with an ophthalmologist has become easier in recent years. However, the challenge is far from being met. By 2030, the demand for vision care is expected to continue to increase due to the aging of the population, the increase in eye pathologies and the strengthening of screening. A development that poses a central question: how can we guarantee rapid access to quality care for all?
A sharp rise in demand for vision care
The figures demonstrate the scale of the phenomenon. According to the report World Report on Vision According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 40% of the world’s population could be myopic by 2030.
In France, the aging of the population is also a major factor. According to INSEE projections, people aged 75 and over will represent 12.5% of the population in 2030, or nearly 8.6 million people.
However, age-related eye diseases are particularly common. According to Inserm, cataract affects more than one in five people over the age of 65 and nearly two in three people over the age of 85. This intervention is already today the most commonly performed surgical procedure in France.
At the same time, needs continue to increase while medical resources remain limited. As of January 1, 2025, France had around 6,000 active ophthalmologists.
Delays improving, but inequalities persist
The organization of the offices has enabled notable progress. Average appointment times fell from 43 days in 2019 to 19 days in 2024.
But this improvement masks significant territorial disparities. In the Paris metropolitan area, the average wait is 10 days, compared to more than 50 days in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants.
Faced with this situation, the WHO has set ambitious objectives for 2030: allowing more patients to access effective vision correction and quality cataract interventions.
For stakeholders in the sector, three priorities emerge: prevention, early detection and better organization of care provision.
Cooperation and teleconsultation: the avenues considered
According to the Point Vision ophthalmology network, the answer does not lie solely in increasing the number of practitioners. The issue is also organizational.
Cooperation between ophthalmologists and orthoptists, optimization of medical time and the development of new care pathways are among the solutions put forward to absorb the increase in consultations.
Teleconsultation is also presented as a complementary lever when it is part of a structured care pathway, with defined medical protocols and monitoring provided by healthcare teams.
For Stanislas Guedj, president of the Point Vision group, the issue is above all that of early diagnosis: “Today, nearly 90% of vision loss could be avoided through screening and early treatment..”
Maintaining quality of care in the face of increasing needs
As the number of patients continues to increase, the question of the quality of care becomes central.
The medical director of Point Vision, Dr Gonzague Facon, recalls that the objective is not only to welcome more patients, but also to guarantee a precise diagnosis and lasting follow-up.
The renewal of generations of doctors is also an important issue. With demographic changes in the profession, the installation of new ophthalmologists and the transfer of patients appear to be essential conditions for preserving access to care in the years to come.
By 2030, ophthalmology will therefore have to meet a double challenge: responding to rapidly growing demand while maintaining a high level of medical quality. An equation that could profoundly transform the organization of visual care in France.