Should diabetics get annual eye exams?
Yearly retinal screening, one of the staples of diabetes care, may not be as valuable as health care providers might think. "The benefit of annual vs. less frequent screening intervals has not been well evaluated, especially for low-risk patients," contend investigators based at the Veterans Affairs Health Services in Ann Arbor, MI.1
The investigators conclude that annual eye exams for diabetics may not be cost-effective unless patients have a history of retinopathy. Tailoring the frequency to individual circumstances might be preferable. They suggest that "organizations evaluating quality of care should consider costs and benefits carefully before setting universal standards."
Reference
1. Vijan S, Hofer TP, Hayward RA. Cost-utility analysis of screening intervals for diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. JAMA 2000; 283:889-896.
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