Implementing clinical informatics tools for primary care-based diabetic retinopathy screening.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Health Informatics
• Primary Care Medicine

Background:

• Diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening rates often remain suboptimal.
• Existing DR screening relies on in-person eye examinations, creating access barriers.
• Primary care settings present an opportunity to expand DR screening accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance diabetic retinopathy screening rates.
• To implement a primary care-based teleretina screening program.
• To integrate clinical informatics tools into the screening workflow.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement study was conducted at an academic institution.
• Needs assessment identified gaps in current DR screening workflows.
• Development and implementation of health information technology (IT) tools for seamless integration and reduced user burden.

Main Results:

• Identified significant gaps in baseline DR screening processes.
• Developed integrated IT solutions, including EHR reporting and automated notifications.
• Screened 316 primary care patients, detecting ocular pathology in 73 (23%), including DR and other previously undiagnosed conditions.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine workflows and health IT are crucial for diabetic care coordination.
• Clinical informatics tools can significantly improve the delivery of diabetes care.
• The teleretina program demonstrates a successful model for enhancing DR screening in primary care.