Australia funds diabetes screening

July 17, 2018 Staff reporters

The Australian government’s decision to develop a national diabetes eye screening programme is a major step in the fight against diabetes-related vision loss and blindness, according to diabetes and eye health groups.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt announced an initial $1 million for year one to start development of the Preserve Sight programme, which will include a national electronic eye health record and ensure people registered with the National Diabetes Services Scheme get regular reminders to have their eyes checked. Specsavers Australia is matching the government’s contribution, pledging $1 million a year for five years, with more industry funding expected to follow.

Of the 1.7 million Australians who currently have diabetes, 100,000 are thought to suffer from vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy, with this number expected to double by 2030. The disease, in which poor glucose control affects the tiny blood vessels inside the retina at the back of the eye, is largely preventable if treated early enough, but more than 600,000 Australians with diabetes are currently not having the recommended eye checks for early detection and Diabetes Australia and Vision 2020 Australia have been jointly advocating for many years for more effective screening and follow-up.

Diabetes Australia will partner with Vision 2020 Australia, Oculo, Specsavers and others in the eye health and diabetes sectors to deliver this initiative.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists president A/Prof Mark Daniell said that with newer and more effective treatment such as intravitreal injections, the major challenge to preventing vision loss has been patients presenting too late for treatment. “The new national diabetes eye screening programme is an excellent initiative, chasing up patients who have not been screened. This initiative aligns with RANZCO’s collaborative care guidelines, which provide clear standards of care for diabetic retinopathy.”

Dr Peter van Wijngaarden from the Centre for Eye Research Australia said the programme will facilitate greater levels of connection in the eye health sector. “We have world-leading eye care providers in Australia, but we need to do better to make sure that people with diabetes access care at the right times and don’t fall through the cracks,” Dr van Wijngaarden said. “The implementation of systematic eye check programmes has dramatically reduced rates of diabetes-related blindness in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Poland and Sweden.”

Diabetes Australia CEO Professor Greg Johnson said too many people with diabetes were missing out on eye checks that could prevent them from losing their sight. “Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Australians. We are pleased the Australian government and industry partners are supporting this important initiative. Other industry partners are expected to contribute funding, and ongoing government funding will be sought for a five-year programme,” Professor Johnson said.

Mr Peter Larsen, optometry director from Specsavers said, “This is great news for the eye health sector and we are confident that it will dramatically increase the number of people with diabetes who are having their eyes checked in the recommended time frames.” Optometry Australia CEO, Lyn Brodie added the programme’s intent is to engage all optometry service providers across the nation and create stronger e-health linkages between GPs and other healthcare providers and optometrists.