Photographic diabetic retinopathy screening in an urban family practice clinic: effect on compliance to eye examination.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the effect of introduction of diabetic retinopathy screening using non-mydriatic digital fundus photography (nDFP) in an urban academic family practice clinic on patient compliance to recommended dilated eye examination (REE).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Two hundred four patients with diabetes mellitis who were noncompliant to annual REE were screened for diabetic retinopathy using nDFP. The images were electronically transmitted to the retinal specialist to triage them for follow-up REE based on the photographic findings. Retrospective review of their medical records compared the compliance to REE before and after nDFP screening.

RESULTS

Compliance to REE increased from 9% before screening to 66.5% after screening (P < .0001). Good quality fundus images were obtained in 93% of the eyes.

CONCLUSION

Introduction of nDFP for diabetic retinopathy screening in the family practice clinic can result in a dramatic increase in compliance to REE among patients with diabetes mellitis previously poorly compliant to REE.