We published the original TFOS DEWS report in 2007 and the international impact was amazing. As noted by a renowned ophthalmologist, “The publication of the TFOS DEWS report…was a landmark event in the history of our understanding and treatment of dry eye disease. Indeed, a European Medicines Agency official termed the TFOS DEWS report the dry eye “Bible".
We updated the TFOS DEWS report in 2017 and the impact of TFOS DEWS II report was even more amazing. Some of these updates in this nearly 400-page report, which involved 150 experts from 23 countries and took almost 2.5 years to complete, included the creation of an evidence-based, single-sentence definition of dry eye disease; reclassification of dry eye disease with the overarching aim to improve patient care; identification of the core mechanism of dry eye disease; recognition that evaporative dry eye disease is the most common form of dry eye, and that the major cause is obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction; recognition of the importance of iatrogenic dry eye disease; and recommendations about diagnostic methodology and treatment.
Since the publication of the TFOS DEWS II report, there have been more than 8,000 peer-reviewed articles published about dry eye disease. Given this extraordinary amount of research over the past seven years, we have decided to update TFOS DEWS II and focus on new and significant advances in the diagnosis, management, and classification of dry eye disease.
The Leadership of TFOS DEWS III includes Victor Perez Quinones (USA; Chair), Lyndon Jones (Canada; Vice-Chair), James Wolffsohn (UK; Vice-Chair), and David A Sullivan (USA; Organizer). The Steering Committee will be the Leadership and the TFOS Board of Directors. The TFOS DEWS III initiative will involve the efforts of clinical and basic science research experts from around the world, who will utilize an evidence-based approach and a process of open communication, dialogue and transparency to increase our understanding of dry eye disease.
