Reducing the Cost of Healthcare with Diabetic Retinopathy Reading Centers
Diabetes Mellitus is a leading cause of death, disability, and blindness in the United States. It is estimated that some form of diabetes occurs in approximately 8% of the American population, and the prevalence and incidence of the disease continues to increase worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are now more than 285 million people worldwide with diabetes, and predicts this number will rise to 439 million people by the year 2030. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 18 million Americans have diagnosed diabetes, but an additional 6.4 million remain undiagnosed.
Diabetic Retinopathy is the blinding eye disease that is caused when diabetes damages the blood vessels on the retina at the back of the eye. The retina is the ocular structure that permits a person to see, and vascular damage to the retina will result in distortion of the visual image and/or regions of blindness. In particular, damage to the central visual field will lead to functional blindness where ordinary visual tasks such as reading may be no longer possible. Over the last 20 years, diabetic retinopathy has become the single most common cause of blindness in working age adults in the United States.
Fundus Photography has become the primary method of diagnosing diabetic retinopathy. Clinically-trained eye care providers carefully examine images of the central retina for signs of the disease, allowing them to accurately grade diabetic retinopathy without the need to examine the actual patient in person. In addition, the photographic record serves the purpose of documenting the progression or stability of diabetic retinopathy over time. Based on the interpretation outcome, patients may be referred for immediate follow-up for treatment, or scheduled for examinations at a later date to assess the progression of the disease.