[Review of the development of ophthalmic informatics]

Digitized information technology, which is rising and permeating into other scientific domains, is a major trend of contemporary science development. The overlap between ophthalmology and informatics creates ophthalmic informatics, a new and developing discipline. Ophthalmic informatics utilizes the computer as the primary tool and with the aid of ophthalmic knowledge, develops a system to analyze patient data and evaluates the accuracy of the system. It also provides a new method for the development of traditional ophthalmology. In order to let more ophthalmologist to handle the knowledge of ophthalmic informatics and to use it in the practice, this article carries a comprehensive review of ophthalmic informatics, with emphasis on the principle, content and method of ophthalmic informatics. Some relevant studies on ophthalmic informatics in China in recent years are enumerated, as well as the basic frame for studying ophthalmic informatics.