Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and reduced vision among Indigenous Australians in the nurse-led iDEES study in a regional primary care clinic.

AIM To describe the prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and presenting vision level among Indigenous Australian adults with diabetes attending an Indigenous primary care clinic in regional Australia. METHODS Participants underwent nurse-led retinal imaging and DR screening with offsite retinal grading in the integrated Diabetes Education and Eye Screening [iDEES] project implemented at a regional Indigenous primary healthcare setting between January 2018 and March 2020. RESULTS Of 172 eligible adults, 135 (79%) were recruited and screened for DR and vision level. The median age was 56 (46-67) years; 130 (96%) had Type 2 diabetes of median (IQR) duration 6 (2-12) years; 48 (36%) were male. Images from 132 participants (97.8%) were gradable. DR was present in 38 (29%) participants: mild non-proliferative in 33 (25%); moderate-severe and sight-threatening in 3 (2.5%) and 2 (1.5%), respectively. Subnormal presenting vision was present in 33%. CONCLUSIONS A nurse-led model of care integrating diabetes eye screening and education at a single visit was successful at recruiting Indigenous Australian adults with diabetes, screening their vision and acquiring a high rate of gradable images. Even for a relatively short duration of known diabetes, DR was present in three in every ten patients screened. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.