Diabetes and Eye Care

A: That is good advice, because Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness and other significant eye diseases. That's why the American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics have annual eye exams by an eye care professional such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist. Detecting eye disease in its early stages and receiving immediate treatment decreases the incidence of these diseases.
Unfortunately, a recent review of charts of diabetic patients revealed that few had a documented eye exam. According to a study of 17,000 diabetic patients conducted by the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, only 17% of the patient charts reviewed had a documented exam.
Possible reasons for this lack of documentation include:

1. Patients are not getting eye exams.
2. Physicians are not reminding patients to have an annual exam.
3. Ophthalmologists and optometrists are not informing the primary care doctors about the completion of patients' eye exams.

We encourage the professionals who provide care for diabetic patients to coordinate and communicate with each other. Health professionals need to ensure they have a full understanding of the issues impacting their patients' health. The incidence of diabetic eye disease is increasing, and without the efforts of all professionals involved in the care of diabetics we will not be able to reverse this trend.
Take the initiative and make sure you get an eye exam at least once a year to maintain your precious gift of sight.