Democratizing ophthalmic knowledge

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the world's leading association of eye physicians and surgeons. With a global community of 32,000 medical doctors, the AAO strives to protect sight and empower lives by serving as an advocate for patients and the public. Their mission is achieved through leading ophthalmic education, supporting research and the overall advancement of ophthalmology on a global scale.

The AAO's journey with immersive technology began with a clear strategy to address a critical gap in training for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness. The vision for the project included the creation of a scalable training virtual platform hub that could link to other specialty training modules in the future.

Physician leadership was critical to success as it would not only guarantee accuracy and educational integrity but also aid in adoption and scalability.

Weekly calls were held to ensure every feature was meticulously defined and specific educational objectives achieved.

Accessibility was another key factor. The first version was launched on the Meta store, with the full simulation available for free to all accredited Academy members. A teaser demo module was also released to the wider public to broaden potential reach. Alongside this the simulation was also mobilized into a 3D web site to provide entry level access for users in regions and countries without VR access.

For the AAO, the ability to support their mission through access to high-quality simulation training, particularly for residents in underserved regions, is vital to achieving the democratization of ophthalmic knowledge. Future optimization is unlocked through the integration of immersive solutions into mainstream medical education.