Alliance for Healthcare from the Eye Launches to Advance AI-Powered Disease Detection

At the 2025 ARVO Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, a multi-stakeholder coalition announced the official launch of the Alliance for Healthcare from the Eye (AHE)—a cross-sector initiative aimed at transforming disease detection and care delivery by leveraging the eye as a diagnostic gateway to systemic health.

Harnessing the Eye Through Oculomics and AI

The Alliance for Healthcare from the Eye seeks to establish a new standard in integrated healthcare by applying artificial intelligence (AI) to ocular diagnostics—an emerging field known as oculomics. The Alliance comprises healthcare systems, clinicians, life science companies, technology developers, non-profits, payors, and policymakers.

According to the AHE, the initiative is designed to accelerate the shift from reactive to proactive care by utilizing high-resolution, noninvasive ocular data to detect early signs of vascular, neurologic, and metabolic conditions.

“The eye offers a noninvasive, high-resolution window into the body’s vascular, neurologic, and metabolic systems,” said Robert N. Weinreb, MD, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Diego, and founding member of the Alliance.
“With advanced ophthalmic diagnostics, AI can help identify early indicators of heart disease, kidney dysfunction, neurodegeneration, and other systemic diseases—before symptoms arise.”

Integrating Ocular Insights Into Coordinated Care Networks

AHE’s vision centers on embedding AI-powered retinal image analysis and visual function testing into coordinated care networks that link eyecare, primary care, and specialty providers. The approach enables:

       • Early identification of high-risk individuals

       • Improved access to preventative services

       • Risk stratification and triage

       • Reduced burden of late-stage disease

       • Cost-efficient care delivery

The Alliance emphasizes a strong commitment to data security, transparency, and patient privacy, ensuring that patient information is managed responsibly as part of this ecosystem.

Defining the Framework: JAMA Ophthalmology Publication

On May 8, 2025, AHE members published a foundational manuscript in JAMA Ophthalmology, detailing the vision and guiding principles of Healthcare from the Eye. The paper outlines how AI-powered ocular pre-screening can enhance early detection, reduce healthcare costs, and broaden access to care through existing clinical infrastructure and cross-sector collaboration.

“To effectively implement Healthcare from the Eye, a connected platform is needed to improve population health,” said Ali Tafreshi, CEO & President of Topcon Healthcare, Inc., and founding member of the Alliance.

A New Model for Ethical, Scalable, and Preventive Healthcare

The Alliance is committed to ensuring that this approach is not only ethically sound and easily deployable, but also sustainable and scalable. Key focus areas include:

       • Expanding affordable access to care

       • Ensuring responsible use of AI and patient data

       • Coordinating care across systems

       • Supporting long-term health outcomes and cost reductions

“This is not just about eye care—it’s about unlocking new frontiers in whole-body health,” said David C. Rhew, MD, Global Chief Medical Officer at Microsoft and founding member of the Alliance.
“The Alliance is a model for responsible, scalable innovation that starts with increasing access to care for the patient and ends with better health outcomes.”