Ophthalmologists strive for efficiency to meet rising demand

Rising demand for services coupled with an insufficient number of new physicians is pushing compensation upward for ophthalmologists, while reimbursement stagnation is suppressing revenue. The net result: modest year-to-year compensation increases, according to most surveys.

That is a trend that many specialties have seen recently. But on the demand side of the equation, ophthalmologists are feeling the effects of the aging baby boomers more than other specialists as older patients develop more serious eye problems.