Fielmann Group supports medical study by University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) on innovative eyecare

Fielmann Group supports medical study by University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) on innovative eyecare

• Scientific evaluation of Fielmann’s Eye Health Checkup in Germany
• Fielmann customers in Hamburg can now opt for an ophthalmologist exam as part of the scientific study

Together with Ocumeda, a leading tele-ophthalmological platform in Europe, Fielmann Group introduced the Eye Health Checkup, an innovative medical offering that makes eye health affordable and accessible for everyone. The service has been rolled out since 2024 and is currently being offered in all major Fielmann stores in Austria, Germany and Switzerland. 300,000 customers have already used the service and in 20% of the cases, conspicuous findings led to a recommendation for further checkups and treatments at local ophthalmologists and clinics.

This medical service is now being scientifically examined by the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), supported by Fielmann with €600,000. The scientific study is led by the Director of the hospital’s Ophthalmology Department, Prof. Dr. Martin Spitzer. Its goal is to scientifically evaluate the tele-ophthalmological offering, comparing its results to those of a medical eye exam carried out in person by an ophthalmologist at the university clinic.

About the Eye Health Service at Fielmann
Fielmann’s Eye Health Checkup is a comprehensive eye health screening that is comprised of the most important measurements necessary to reliably detect major eye diseases: Certified Fielmann opticians document a medical history, carry out a refraction, take images of the retina and measure the intraocular pressure with state-of-the-art equipment in Fielmann stores. Subsequently, the data is digitally transferred to ophthalmologists who conduct an assessment and provide customers with feedback within one or two days. Patients with findings are referred to local ophthalmologists or clinics for further treatment. Appointments for an Eye Health Checkup can be scheduled online.

About the medical study – free ophthalmologist consultations for Fielmann customers
Starting November 1, 2025, all customers above the age of 18 who opt for an Eye Health Checkup at Fielmann stores in the metropolitan area of Hamburg will be offered the option to get their results validated free of charge and in person by an ophthalmologist at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). Appointments can be scheduled at short notice online. The comprehensive eye exam at UKE takes about two hours and the individual results will be submitted to the participant. Please note that participation in the study is only being offered to patients who have no known eye diseases. The results of the medical study will be published in 2027.

„Having your eye health checked regularly is important. More than 300,000 customers have already chosen the most convenient way – our medical Eye Health Checkup. By asking one of the most renowned medical research institutions in Europe to scientifically evaluate this innovative service, we underscore Fielmann’s commitment to delivering quality medical services in close collaboration with our partners in ophthalmology. This study marks another important milestone in our Vision 2035 growth strategy, which aims to make primary eyecare accessible and affordable. This way we pursue our purpose – to help everyone hear and see the beauty in the world”, says Marc Fielmann, CEO of the Fielmann Group.

Why primary eyecare is important
Studies indicate that a substantial proportion of severe visual impairment and blindness could be prevented through early diagnosis and regular ophthalmic examinations. According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 75% of all cases worldwide are preventable or treatable; in industrialized countries such as Germany, this proportion is approximately 40–50%. Nevertheless, only about one third of the population in Germany undergo regular eye health checkups. As a result, many preventable vision losses — particularly those caused by glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration — are still detected too late. “This is why it is so important to understand if and how tele-ophthalmological offerings can contribute to identify patients that need ophthalmological care”, explains Prof. Dr. Martin Spitzer, Director of the study and of the Ophthalmology Department at the UKE.

The following Fielmann stores are offering the Eye Health Checkup and are participating in the scientific study:

Hamburg, Germany ˗ November 4, 2025
 

Fielmann Group AG

The Management Board

 

ABOUT FIELMANN GROUP AG
The Fielmann Group is a stock-listed German family business active in vision care and audiology, serving 30 million customers with eyewear, contact lenses, primary eyecare services and hearing aids. As one of the leading vision care providers worldwide, it operates an omnichannel platform consisting of digital sales channels and more than 1,200 stores in Europe and the United States. Founded in 1972, the company is led by Marc Fielmann, representing the second generation of the Fielmann family, which still owns the majority of the company’s stock. By staying true to its customer-centric values, the Fielmann Group helps everyone hear and see the beauty in the world. Thanks to the dedication of more than 24,000 people worldwide, the company consistently achieves customer satisfaction and retention rates of around 90% and has to date fitted more than 200 million pairs of individual prescription glasses.

ABOUT OCUMEDA AG
Ocumeda is one of the leading tele-ophthalmology platforms in Europe. Its mission: preventing vision loss and blindness for millions of people. The company was founded by an interdisciplinary team around renowned ophthalmologists, who were repeatedly confronted with patients with serious eye diseases that were in many cases diagnosed too late – with the consequence that vision loss was no longer avoidable. This observation was the impetus for founding Ocumeda, with the aim of making eye care accessible for everyone. To date, Ocumeda has already examined about 300,000 patients with its network of over 700 optical retail stores and ophthalmologists across Europe.

ABOUT UKE
Founded in 1889, the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) is one of the most modern hospitals in Europe and, with around 16,100 employees, one of the largest employers in Hamburg, Germany. Every year, the UKE treats around 572,000 patients, 97,000 of whom are inpatients and 475,000 outpatients. The UKE's research focuses on neuroscience, cardiovascular research, health services research, oncology, and infections and inflammation. Through its medical faculty, the UKE trains around 3,500 doctors, dentists, and midwives. The Department of Ophthalmology, headed by Prof. Dr. Martin Spitzer, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of complex eye diseases.

CONTACT