Preventing Vision-Threatening Complications of Diabetes: Improving Identification and Management

Preventing Vision-Threatening Complications of Diabetes: Improving Identification and Management is organized by MedEdicus LLC. 

Release Date: Dec 01, 2019
Expiry Date: Nov 26, 2022

Description:
By the year 2050, it is estimated that the prevalence of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy in the United States will nearly triple, from 1.2 million (in 2005) to 3.4 million. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-aged adults. Approximately half of the patients with diabetes have some degree of diabetic retinopathy or even diabetic macular edema at diagnosis. Rapid evolution in widefield retinal imaging enables earlier detection and more accurate staging of diabetic retinopathy, which in turn facilitates timely referral and treatment as well as provides prognostic information that can be used for effective comanagement and patient education. Recent research also continues to refine the management of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Diabetic retinopathy can now be treated in the absence of diabetic macular edema. Additionally, some forms of diabetic macular edema might be observed when vision is not affected. The increasingly complex management of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema requires a collaborative approach between optometrists and retina specialists, with communication at the forefront. The desired results of this activity are to enable optometrists to better identify patients with diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema and to improve how care is coordinated so that effective treatment practices can ultimately improve the visual outcomes of patients with diabetes.

Learning objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be better able to:
• Appraise the role of peripheral retinal imaging in the detection and grading of diabetic retinopathy
• Differentiate stages of diabetic retinopathy in individual patients according to guidelines and widefield/ultrawidefield images
• Design monitoring and referral strategies for individual patients according to the severity of diabetic retinopathy
• Describe treatments for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema to patients with diabetes
• Discuss treatment strategies for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema with retina specialists

Additional details will be posted as soon as information is available.