The Five Pillars of Diabetic Retinopathy Management in Optometry

1. DETECT: Approach diabetic retinopathy as a chronic progressive disease. Being a chronic progressive disease implies that you can detect it before it becomes advanced disease. This can be achieved using both structural and functional testing.
2. GRADE: Grade diabetic retinopathy at the time of diagnosis and at each subsequent visit. Chart structural retinal damage and quantify retinal cell function.
3. ASSESS RISK: To assess risk of progression, monitor diabetic retinopathy patients over time using both structural and objective functional measures.
4. MANAGE: Utilize multi-disciplinary resources to manage all diabetic retinopathy patients, regardless of disease severity.
5. SUPPORT: Provide comprehensive patient education and strategies to help prevent disease progression.

Read how two optometrists are managing patients with diabetic retinopathy in their practices.