Dry eye disease affects at least 16 million Americans, with some estimates pushing undiagnosed cases to 30 million or even 49 million.1,2
This number is only likely to grow due to increasing screen use, changing environmental pressures, and an aging population—all factors in the ocular surface condition that the TFOS DEWS II Report defines as a disease “characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles.”1
The 2025 Dry Eye Report dives into the emerging challenges within the realm of dry eye care, featuring responses from a broad spectrum of eyecare professionals—from optometrists first entering the field to clinicians with a wealth of experience and decades in practice.
For the first time ever, Eyes On Eyecare’s Dry Eye Report is open to the public! Just click here to download—no registration required.
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Key Takeaways from the 2025 Dry Eye Report
Overall, optometrists in 2025 are confident in their ability to diagnose dry eye disease and over 70% are actively screening for DED; however, they are less confident in their ability to successfully manage or treat the disease.
Practice owners are interested in expanding their dry eye offerings but hesitant to do so due to cost concerns, and optometrists are overall interested in trying new therapies provided their scope of practice allows them to do so.
The 2025 Dry Eye Report covers:
- How much optometry practices are focusing on dry eye
- Estimated prevalence of DED, Demodex blepharitis, and neurotrophic keratitis
- Go-to diagnostic and screening tools
- Confidence in treatment and ongoing management—plus favorite therapies for each type of dry eye
- And more!
What are the primary challenges in dry eye disease diagnosis?
Optometrists rate themselves highly confident in accurately diagnosing dry eye in their patients at a 4.23/5—but their confidence dipped to 3.93/5 when it came to treating dry eye disease.
The go-to tools for identifying dry eye disease patients are patient-reported symptoms and slit lamp examinations with vital dyes—with only 32.83% of respondents reporting usage of validated dry eye questionnaires like SPEED or OSDI.
When it comes to Demodex blepharitis, we found that optometrists tend to underestimate its prevalence—unsurprising when research has shown that 58% of patients presenting with signs or symptoms of the condition did not receive a diagnosis.3
What barriers are there to expanding OSD lines of service in optometry practices?
When we asked practice owners to select the primary barrier to investing in in-office treatments for ocular surface disease, the top two were cost and return on investment.
In fact, barriers involving patient interest, volume, or acceptance only accounted for less than 15%—indicating that the up-front expense of these treatments is a greater cause for concern than interest or efficacy.
Furthermore, when asked which treatments they would never consider and why, optometrists pointed to a lack of knowledge or insurance coverage as a greater impediment than concerns over efficacy or patient interest.
What are the most popular go-to treatments for dry eye disease?
When it comes to treating dry eye, optometrists are reaching for over-the-counter treatments, with artificial tears and at-home compresses being the top choice for most types of dry eye—with one notable exception.
When asked which treatments optometrists would never consider utilizing, almost 40% had the same answer—and their reasoning surprised us!
Additionally, it highlighted the need for education on available treatments and optometry scope of practice laws if optometrists are to be able to utilize available treatments to their full potential.
Conclusion
We hope the Dry Eye Report empowers you to tackle DED with confidence. As the patient population grows, it’s more important than ever for ECPs to stay at the forefront of eye health best practices.
Ultimately, we hope this report will offer useful insights and support for doctors seeking to grow their practice and expand their ability to treat their patients and offer better care and quality of life!
