Digitalization and AI in ophthalmology - conference in Chemnitz on 05.04.2025

On 5 April 2025, experts gathered at the Congress Hotel Chemnitz for the conference “Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology”. Doctors, scientists and representatives from the industry contributed their perspectives to highlight and discuss current developments and forward-looking approaches to digital transformation in the specialist field. Prof. Dr. Katrin Engelmann, Prof. Dr. Vinodh Kakkassery and Prof. Dr. Martin Sedlmayr were responsible for the scientific management of the event.

Diverse contributions and interdisciplinary perspectives

The program offered a wide range of topics: from artificial intelligence (AI) and data networking to start-up innovations and health policy perspectives. Members of the MiHUBx-project played a key role in shaping and organizing the event. The MiHUBx-team also played a key role in shaping the content of the conference by contributing numerous papers. The day began with an introduction to AI by Dr. Markus Wolfien, who provided a well-founded overview of basic technologies and possible applications. Prof. Dr. Martin Sedlmayr then gave insights into data-based research as part of the MiHUBx-project. Another lecture focused on an AI-supported therapy algorithm, presented by Gabriel Stolze in collaboration with Katja Hoffmann. Sophia Grummt concluded the Dresden lecture series with a contribution on user-friendliness and user-centricity in the development of digital systems in medicine.

Discussions at eye level - panel discussion with diverse perspectives

A central highlight of the day was the panel discussion, in which stakeholders from a wide range of areas contributed their views on digitalization in the healthcare sector. Points of discussion included

• Experience reports from doctors in digitized practice
• the viewpoint of the health insurance companies
• the position of the Saxon State Medical Association
• Remuneration of digital healthcare services
• Potential for improving patient care in rural regions

Interactive workshops with practical relevance

Participants were then able to gain practical experience on the following topics in three parallel workshops:

- Station 1: Creating a simple (diagnostic) model with machine learning approaches

(led by: Gabriel Stolze, Martin Bartos, Dr. Markus Wolfien)

- Station 2: Dashboard visualizations as an aspect of digitalization and data usage

(Head: Sophia Grummt, Katja Hoffmann)

- Station 3: Doctors as research partners in medical practices, clinics and other healthcare facilities

(Head: Benny Platte)

Research projects as trailblazers

The specialist event was characterized by contributions from the MiHUBx and EyeMatics projects, among others, which are exemplary for the implementation of interoperable, data-driven solutions in ophthalmology.

Conclusion

The conference revealed the great potential of digital technologies for ophthalmic care and showed that their successful integration requires not only technological excellence, but also interdisciplinary exchange, practical relevance and user centricity. A continuation of the format in 2026 has already been decided.