America's Best Eye Doctors 2023

America's Best Eye Doctors 2023 - Ophthalmologists

By Newsweek

America's Best Eye Doctors 2023

At any stage of life, preserving your vision is a priority. Eye doctors, also known as ophthalmologists or optometrists, are healthcare providers who specialize in diagnosing, treating, and managing eye-related conditions and vision problems. They are crucial in preserving eye health, improving vision and preventing or managing various eye diseases.

Both ophthalmologists and optometrists play vital roles in eye care, and their services often complement each other. Ophthalmologists are generally involved in more complex eye surgeries and managing advanced eye diseases. At the same time, optometrists focus on routine eye care, vision correction and detecting early signs of eye conditions. They may work together in a co-management model, where patients receive primary eye care from an optometrist and are referred to an ophthalmologist for specialized care when needed.

Statista and Newsweek are proud to partner to publish America's Best Eye Doctors 2023 ranking, which puts the spotlight on the leading ophthalmologists and optometrists in the United States. In total, 200 ophthalmologists and 200 optometrists were awarded.

Please join me in congratulating these outstanding eye doctors.

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Methodology Newsweek Article – America's Best Eye Doctors 2023

The America's Best Ophthalmologists and America's Best Optometrists 2023 ranking awards the leading 400 eye doctors in the US. The ranking distinguishes ophthalmologists and optometrists in separate lists to account for the substantial differences in services and treatments provided. In total, 200 ophthalmologists and 200 optometrists were awarded. The top 30 ophthalmologists and the top 30 optometrists are ranked #1 to #30. The top 31-200 ophthalmologists and top 31-200 optometrists are sorted alphabetically.

Eye doctors from the 20 U.S. states with the highest population were included in the survey: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.

During the survey period from March to April 2023, over 10,000 medical experts (ophthalmologists, optometrists, clinic managers & health care professionals) were invited to an online survey via Newsweek.com. In total, over 6,800 votes were collected and analyzed during the survey period.

Scoring Model
A score was calculated for each ophthalmologist and optometrist based on the number of recommendations, a quality assessment and relevant certification.

In-State Recommendations
Participants were first asked to recommend leading ophthalmologist and optometrist in their own state. The order in which recommendations were provided was relevant to the ranking (#1 has the highest weight). Participants were able to specify a standout treatment in the ophthalmologist survey (Cornea, Retina, Glaucoma). Self-recommendations were not allowed and lead to disqualification from the survey. In-State recommendations constitute 35% of the overall score.

Out-of-State Recommendations
Participants were asked to recommend leading doctors in their respective field in any of the other 20 US states included in the survey. Out-of-State recommendations constitute 25% of the overall score.

Recommendations by other specialty
Optionally, ophthalmologists were able to recommend optometrists and vice versa. These recommendations constitute 20% of the overall score.

Quality Score
For their In-State recommendations, participants were asked to assess the quality of care (e.g. treatments, preventive care, use of most recent equipment) to further differentiate the perceived reputation of each eye doctor. Eye doctors who only received out-of-state recommendations were given a baseline score.For each recommended eye doctor, the participant rated the quality of care on a scale from 1 ("poor") to 10 ("excellent"). A quality score was calculated for each eye doctor with In-State recommendations. This score accounts for 15% of the total score.

Certification Score
The American Board of Ophthalmology and the American Board of Optometry certifications are voluntary credentials for ophthalmologists and optometrists respectively in the US. Certified eye doctors must meet rigorous certification standards including medical training requirements and complete an intensive evaluation process. Eye doctors received 5% towards their total score if they are certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology or American Board of Optometry.

The rankings are comprised exclusively of eye doctors that are eligible regarding the scope described in this article. A mention in the ranking is a positive recognition based on peer recommendations. The ranking is the result of an elaborate process which, due to the interval of data-collection and analysis, is a reflection of the last 12 months only. Furthermore, any events following May 10, 2023, were not considered in the metrics. As such, the results of this ranking should not be used as the sole source of information for future deliberations. The information provided in this ranking should be considered in conjunction with other available information about eye doctors or, if possible, accompanied by a visit to the clinic. The quality of eye doctors that are not included in the rankings is not disputed.

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