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Improving diabetic retinopathy screening through a statewide telemedicine program at a large federally qualified
J N Olayiwola1, D M Sobieraj, K Kulowski
1Community Health Center, Inc., Middletown, CT, USA. Nwando@chc1.com
Background:
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of acquired blindness in U.S. adults. Early detection prevents progression. Screening rates are only 10% in medically underserved populations.
Methods:
A statewide telemedicine-based program within primary care centers was implemented to improve DR screening, detection and referrals for underserved patients.
Study Design:
Retrospective, descriptive study.
Results:
A total of 568 adults were screened during a comprehensive nurse visit from July 2009-June 2010 and had complete data available. Nearly 60% were minorities and 24% were uninsured. A total of 145 cases of DR were identified. The majority were recommended to return in one year for follow-up, while 75 were referred to a specialist.
Conclusions:
Telemedicine using digital imaging technology in the primary care office is a strategy that can be used to screen underserved and at-risk patients for DR, increase compliance with screening, and streamline specialist referrals.
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