AIM: To report the results of the Waikato Regional Mobile Diabetic Retinopathy Photoscreening Programme. METHODS: We audited the results of a diabetic retinal photoscreening programme using the mobile retinal camera in the Waikato region for the period August 1993 to December 2001. RESULTS: A total of 8172 patients were screened one or more times, with a total of 15 555 photoscreens, representing approximately 79% of the expected number of patients with diabetes for the region. Seventy eight per cent showed no diabetic retinopathy (NDR), 9.3% had evidence of non-vision-threatening retinopathy (NVR), and 3.1% had evidence of vision-threatening retinopathy (VTR). A further 2281 (14.7%) led to a referral to an eye clinic for specialist review. The percentage of all screening episodes resulting in VTR fell from 11.5% in 1993 to 1.5% in 2002. The overall failure-to-attend rate for photoscreening was high (18.7%), especially in the Maori population (32.3%). CONCLUSION: Mobile retinal photoscreening is practical in a large rural area, and its implementation has been associated with a reduction in presentations with vision-threatening retinopathy within the total community. The rate of subsequent development of VTR in the group with normal eyes on initial photoscreening was low and supports a two-yearly repeat photoscreening schedule for this group. Despite significant efforts to improve physical access to photoscreening, the failure-to-attend rates in all ethnic groups other than Europeans are disappointingly high.
AIM: To report the results of the Waikato Regional Mobile Diabetic Retinopathy Photoscreening Programme. METHODS: We audited the results of a diabetic retinal photoscreening programme using the mobile retinal camera in the Waikato region for the period August 1993 to December 2001. RESULTS: A total of 8172 patients were screened one or more times, with a total of 15 555 photoscreens, representing approximately 79% of the expected number of patients with diabetes for the region. Seventy eight per cent showed no diabetic retinopathy (NDR), 9.3% had evidence of non-vision-threatening retinopathy (NVR), and 3.1% had evidence of vision-threatening retinopathy (VTR). A further 2281 (14.7%) led to a referral to an eye clinic for specialist review. The percentage of all screening episodes resulting in VTR fell from 11.5% in 1993 to 1.5% in 2002. The overall failure-to-attend rate for photoscreening was high (18.7%), especially in the Maori population (32.3%). CONCLUSION: Mobile retinal photoscreening is practical in a large rural area, and its implementation has been associated with a reduction in presentations with vision-threatening retinopathy within the total community. The rate of subsequent development of VTR in the group with normal eyes on initial photoscreening was low and supports a two-yearly repeat photoscreening schedule for this group. Despite significant efforts to improve physical access to photoscreening, the failure-to-attend rates in all ethnic groups other than Europeans are disappointingly high.
Authors: Jackie M Street; Annette J Braunack-Mayer; Karen Facey; Richard E Ashcroft; Janet E Hiller Journal: Health Expect Date: 2008-04-22 Impact factor: 3.377
Authors: Helen Burn; Lisa Hamm; Joanna Black; Anthea Burnett; Matire Harwood; Matthew J Burton; Jennifer R Evans; Jacqueline Ramke Journal: BMJ Glob Health Date: 2021-03
Authors: Nishanthan Ramachandran; Ole Schmiedel; Ehsan Vaghefi; Sophie Hill; Graham Wilson; David Squirrell Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-12-14 Impact factor: 2.692