Vision-Saving Quality Improvement Program Expands to Louisiana Health System

MANHATTAN, N.Y. - March 18, 2022 - PRLog -- DKBmed, LLC is implementing a program to improve screening for diabetic retinopathy by primary care providers at the 36 practices at the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System (FMOLHS). This quality improvement (QI) initiative, called Saving Sight: Vision Protection and Blindness Prevention in Diabetes, has been previously implemented with success at several healthcare systems nationwide, including Lancaster General Health, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Florida, Gainesville.

The program can be found at https://dkbmed.com/programs/169/overview

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in working-age adults, and it is a common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Screening for diabetic retinopathy is recommended, but about half of people with diabetes do not receive recommended yearly screening. Diabetic retinopathy is a progressive condition, but treatments can slow progression and preserve vision.

At Lancaster General Health, the Saving Sight program (previously called Optimizing Disease Management: A Vision for Diabetic Eye Screening) educated 1,865 clinicians and led to over 8,900 patients receiving screening for diabetic eye disease by primary care providers, using a diagnostic camera located in the primary care office. Of patients who were screened by their primary care providers, 52% had previously undetected vision abnormalities and were properly referred to a specialist. Screening rates improved most dramatically among patients aged 18 to 54, along with those with the lowest and highest A1C levels.

With these lessons in mind, DKBmed will implement a similar initiative at FMOLHS to address the system's urgent, unmet needs. In Louisiana, more than 500,000 people have type 2 diabetes; another 1.2 million have prediabetes, and 32,000 individuals receive new diagnoses of T2D annually. FMOLHS is a key provider of healthcare in the state – more than 48,000 patients with T2D are seen by clinicians in this healthcare system every year. As such, targeted educational initiatives delivered to care providers here can dramatically improve outcomes for patients residing in Louisiana.

Optimizing Disease Management: Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System will feature a number of components including:

• Education on the importance of regular screening and early referral, along with how to screen for diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy by using a retinal scanning camera with artificial intelligence (AI)
• The proper application of early intervention strategies for patients with T2D, with a focus on screening for diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy
• The creation of a coordinated referral network with referral coordinators/patient navigators to insure that patients screening positive are referred to ophthalmologists for care
• The delivery of patient education on diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy and the importance of regular screening and early treatment