Effectiveness of a mobile diabetic retinopathy screening campaign to encourage diabetics to undergo regular ophthalmic follow-up.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening campaign with a non-mydriatic camera to encourage diabetics to undergo a subsequent ophthalmic follow-up.

METHODS

Diabetic patients who underwent free DR screening with a non-mydriatic fundus camera were given the recommendation to have an ophthalmic visit, in a time frame suited to the DR stage or in case abnormalities in the macula, the optic nerve or intra-ocular pressure were detected. The photographs were performed by a trained orthoptist. The date of the visit to their ophthalmologist and the report of this consultation were recorded.

RESULTS

During 5 annual campaigns, 4,699 diabetics were screened. Of the 1,573 ophthalmic examinations recommended at the screening, 1,241 (79%) were actually conducted. A total of 623 new cases of DR were found in the course of this screening campaign, with a fair concordance between the diagnosis suggested at screening and the examination by the ophthalmologist (κ = 0.48).

CONCLUSION

Information and recommendations given during DR screening helped to reintroduce patients to a regular ophthalmic follow-up, at least in the short term.