In the August 2023 issue of Review of Optometry, three optometrists – Paul Chous, MA, OD, FAAO; Ansel Johnson, OD; and Julie Rodman, OD, MSc, FAAO, discuss ways that the process of grading and risk assessment in diabetic retinopathy can be simplified. The three are members of a Diabetic Retinopathy Taskforce that was formed last year to create a guide for optometrists. Dr. Chous said, “We knew that grading and risk assessment are pain points in optometry.”
Dr. Rodman pointed out that it is not entirely unfamiliar, however. “Most of us already conduct grading at some level and note it in the chart. But the quantification of retinal cell function is where we see the most significant opportunity loss. Although both structure and function are useful, functional changes generally appear well before structural
ones.”
She and the others discuss the tools they use to grade diabetic retinopathy and what tests they use to establish a baseline and to monitor for risk over time. The doctors say that electroretinography is useful, and the RETeval® from LKC Technologies offers a portable, handheld solution that is comfortable for patients and easy for clinicians.
