Next-generation digital health solutions in ophthalmology: Telemedicine, AI, and mHealth advances

Ophthalmology continues to lead the development of digital health technologies, with rapid innovation in imaging, artificial intelligence, and mobile platforms enabling new approaches to vision care. Alongside growing global demand and workforce constraints, there is increasing interest in next generation solutions that move beyond established teleophthalmology models toward more adaptive, automated, and data driven systems.Recent advances in deep learning, multimodal data integration, and mobile health technologies are enabling novel diagnostic and monitoring capabilities. These include foundation models for ophthalmic imaging, edge AI for real time analysis on portable devices, continuous home based monitoring through smartphone and wearable technologies, and integrated platforms that combine imaging, clinical data, and behavioral inputs. Such developments are opening new possibilities for personalized care, earlier intervention, and decentralized service delivery.Despite this progress, many of these technologies remain at a translational or early validation stage. Key challenges include model generalizability across populations, interoperability across devices and platforms, prospective clinical validation, and the development of robust technical and data standards. There is also a need to better understand how emerging tools can be designed for scalability from the outset while maintaining safety, transparency, and clinical relevance.This Research Topic focuses on the development and early phase evaluation of next generation digital solutions in ophthalmology. It aims to highlight technical innovation, novel methodologies, and translational research that can shape the future of digital eye care. Emphasis is placed on new algorithms, devices, and system architectures rather than established workflows or large scale implementation.We invite contributions including original research, technical papers, and early clinical studies addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Novel AI models for ophthalmic imaging, including multimodal and foundation models- Edge computing and real time AI integration in portable or point of care devices- Smartphone based and wearable technologies for continuous or home based monitoring- New telemedicine architectures and hybrid care models incorporating automation- Data integration platforms combining imaging, clinical, and patient generated data- Methods for improving model robustness, generalizability, and bias mitigation- Early phase clinical validation and feasibility studies of emerging technologies- Interoperability, data standards, and infrastructure for next generation digital systemsConflict of interest declaration:Topic Editor Anna Heinke is an employee and stockholder of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc Topic editors: Damian Jaworski, Melissa Yuan, Anna Heinke Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78150/next-generation-digital-health-solutions-in-ophthalmology-telemedicine-ai-and-mhealth-advances