The simultaneous maturation of multiple digital and telecommunications technologies in 2020 has created an unprecedented opportunity for ophthalmology to adapt to new models of care using tele-health supported by digital innovations. These digital innovations include artificial intelligence (AI), 5th generation (5G) telecommunication networks and the Internet of Things (IoT), creating an inter-dependent ecosystem offering opportunities to develop new models of eye care addressing the challenges of COVID-19 and beyond. Ophthalmology has thrived in some of these areas partly due to its many image-based investigations. Tele-health and AI provide synchronous solutions to challenges facing ophthalmologists and healthcare providers worldwide. This article reviews how countries across the world have utilised these digital innovations to tackle diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, refractive error correction, cataract and other anterior segment disorders. The review summarises the digital strategies that countries are developing and discusses technologies that may increasingly enter the clinical workflow and processes of ophthalmologists. Furthermore as countries around the world have initiated a series of escalating containment and mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the delivery of eye care services globally has been significantly impacted. As ophthalmic services adapt and form a “new normal”, the rapid adoption of some of telehealth and digital innovation during the pandemic is also discussed. Finally, challenges for validation and clinical implementation are considered, as well as recommendations on future directions.

2020 年，多种数字和电信技术的同时成熟，为眼科创造了前所未有的机会，以适应使用数字创新支持的远程医疗的新护理模式。这些数字创新包括人工智能 (AI)、第五代 (5G) 电信网络和物联网 (IoT)，创建了一个相互依赖的生态系统，为开发新的眼保健模式提供了机会，以应对 COVID-19 及其他挑战。眼科在其中一些领域蓬勃发展，部分原因在于其许多基于图像的研究。远程医疗和人工智能为全球眼科医生和医疗保健提供者面临的挑战提供了同步解决方案。本文回顾了世界各国如何利用这些数字创新来解决糖尿病视网膜病变、早产儿视网膜病变、年龄相关性黄斑变性、青光眼、屈光不正矫正、白内障和其他眼前节疾病。该综述总结了各国正在制定的数字化战略，并讨论了可能越来越多地进入眼科医生临床工作流程和流程的技术。此外，随着世界各国在 COVID-19 大流行期间启动了一系列不断升级的遏制和缓解措施，全球眼保健服务的提供受到了重大影响。随着眼科服务适应并形成“新常态”，还讨论了大流行期间一些远程医疗和数字创新的快速采用。最后，考虑了验证和临床实施的挑战，以及对未来方向的建议。