Resources

The Barcelona Principles were developed by the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations (Lead), in conjunction with the International Council of Ophthalmology, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, The Cornea Society, and in regions without eye bank representation, and in regions without an eye bank association, ophthalmology societies such as the Ophthalmology Society of the West Indies, and the Pacific Eye Care Society. They provide guidance to Custodians, and those requiring human tissue for ocular surgery, training and future technologies.

Access versions of The Barcelona Principles in Arabic, Chinese (simplified), French, Portuguese-Brazilian and Spanish (Latin).

The Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations acknowledge the Centre for Eye Research Australia for overseeing the project, and for individual languages: Arabic: Haitham Al Mahrouqi, Chinese: Chia-Li Pang, French: Christine Milot and Patricia-Ann Laughrea, Portuguese-Brazilian: Ana Maria Guimarães Garcia, Luciene Barbosa de Sousa, and Bruno Lovaglio Cançado Trindade, and Spanish: Enrique O Graue-Hernández.

The International Council of Ophthalmology advocates for and encourages comprehensive team training as an essential strategy to achieve Universal Eye Health.

There is evidence that patients receive higher quality care and are safer when services are provided by effective teams. Training as a team promotes better communication, coordination, and cooperation.

Transitioning from traditional clinical, institutionally-based training for ophthalmologists to a wider team-based training approach will both optimize performance and contribute to accessible, affordable, comprehensive eye care for the betterment of our patients and communities.

Endorsed:

• Board of Directors, International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO)
• Board of Directors, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)
• Board of Directors, International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO)
• Board of Directors, Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO)

Read the ICO Position on Training Teams

The ICO Ophthalmology Surgical Competency Assessment Rubric (ICO-OSCAR) is a standardized, internationally-valid tool to teach and assess an ophthalmologist’s competence in performing surgery. This behavioral and skill-based rubric for evaluators, allows the evaluator to use the ICO-OSCAR to objectively assess the resident’s competence in performing a specific procedure. It also gives the resident a tool to better gauge their own performance.  

The ICO currently offers ICO-OSCAR's for Extracapsular Cataract Extraction, Phacoemulsification, Pediatric Cataract Surgery, Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS), Strabismus, Lateral Tarsal Strip Surgery, Trabeculectomy, and Vitrectomy in English. Selected ICO-OSCAR's are available in Mandarin Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Aravind Eye Care System in southern India generates 250 grams of waste per phacoemulsification and nearly 6 kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalents in greenhouse gases. This is approximately 5% of the United Kingdom's phaco carbon footprint with comparable outcomes. A majority of Aravind's lifecycle environmental emissions occur in the sterilization process of reusable instruments because their surgical system uses largely reusable instruments and materials. Electricity use in the operating room and the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) accounts for 10% to 25% of most environmental emissions.

Read more about the papers conclusions and download a full PDF.

The ICO, International Diabetes Federation, World Council of Optometry, and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness have released a jointGlobal Statement on Diabetes and Eye Heath calling for urgent action from governments, medical associations, service providers, and patient organizations to:

1. Integrate eye health within routine diabetes care by primary health care providers
2. Improve collaboration across the diabetes and eye health sectors
3. Foster and support patient-centered care approaches for diabetic eye health.

This is a simple and cost effective technique require minimal resources and provide same results.

Access the resource.