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Reducing ophthalmic surgical waste through electronic instructions for use: a multisociety position paper
Emily M Schehlein1, John Hovanesian, Aakriti Garg Shukla
1From the Brighton Vision Center, Brighton, Michigan (Schehlein); Harvard Eye Associates, Laguna Hills, California (Hovanesian); Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York (Shukla); Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) Cureblindness, Waterbury, Vermont (Rostov); Vienna Institute for Research in Ocular Surgery (VIROS), Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria (Findl); Altos Eye Physicians, Los Altos, California (Chang).
None:
Every ophthalmic surgical supply, including intraocular lenses (IOLs), IOL cartridges, and ophthalmic viscosurgical device syringes, is packaged with instructions for use (IFU). These pamphlets are printed in multiple languages and, in the case of an IOL, significantly increase the size and weight of the packaging. To eliminate this significant and unnecessary source of waste, we recommend that manufacturers move to Quick Response codes that link to online electronic IFU (e-IFU) as a sensible alternative. In addition to reducing carbon emissions and manufacturing costs, e-IFU can be updated more easily and accessed by surgeons in the clinic, where IOL models and powers are selected. Varying and inconsistent IFU requirements between different countries are a barrier to wider adoption of e-IFU by the ophthalmic surgical industry. Regulatory agencies in every country should allow and encourage e-IFU. This position paper has been endorsed by the 3 major societies that sponsor EyeSustain, a consortium of global societies dedicated to advancing sustainability in ophthalmology.
