Vision-Saving Quality Improvement Program Expands to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Southern US

MANHATTAN, N.Y. - Jan. 6, 2023 - PRLog -- DKBmed, LLC is partnering with Bellin Health, Community Health Systems (CHS), and the Order of Saint Francis HealthCare (OSF) to implement technology and education to identify patients who have retinopathy related to diabetes. This quality improvement (QI) initiative, called Saving Sight: Vision Protection and Blindness Prevention in Diabetes, has been previously implemented with success at several health care systems nationwide, including Lancaster General Health, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Florida, Gainesville.

These health systems were selected because of their reach and impact on their communities. Bellin, CHS, and OSF serve a large percentage of the diabetic patients in areas of high diabetes prevalence and low screening rates for diabetic retinopathy. Additionally, OSF provides care to patients regardless of a patient's ability to pay or any other social or economic status.

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of visual impairment in working-age adults and is a common complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. When diagnosed and treated, vision can be preserved. Diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed based on visual inspection of the retina. At these health systems, clinicians will use a retinal camera equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based diagnostic algorithm to identify patients with undiagnosed diabetic retinopathy. When the AI system detects diabetic retinopathy, the patient is referred to a local ophthalmologist for a complete evaluation and, if warranted, treatment.

"Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of visual problems and blindness. Up to 20% of people with diabetes have retinopathy at the time their diabetes is diagnosed, but they do not yet know it. Treatments are very effective at preserving vision, which is why it's so important for us to identify people with retinopathy as early as possible," said Primary Care Physician Dr. Scott Musick. "But challenges get in the way of diabetic eye screening for many patients, and this new technology will help overcome some of these challenges. Our patients with diabetes will be screened for retinopathy right in their primary care office--the same place they receive treatment for their diabetes."

At Lancaster General Health, the pilot location of the program (originally educated 1,865 clinicians and led to over 8,900 patients receiving screening for diabetic eye disease by primary care providers. Building on previous success, this initiative will be deployed across all three health systems and expects to reach almost 1,000 clinicians and 75,000 patients with diabetes.

"Vision loss related to diabetic retinopathy often happens so gradually that the patient doesn't realize it is occurring," said OSF HealthCare Vice President of Primary Care Services Dr. Mark Meeker. "But with early detection, we can stop or slow progression and help prevent blindness. I am so pleased we have been able to implement this technology for the benefit of the patients we serve."

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