Quantifying Barriers to Diabetic Eye Screening: A Two-Center Study at the University of California.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the diabetic eye disease screening continuum at two academic centers and identify its barriers.

Research design and methods

We analyzed health records from the University of California, San Francisco, and University of California, Irvine, to identify primary care patients needing diabetic eye screening. We tracked referrals, screenings, diagnoses, and treatments to evaluate predictors and the impact of an automated referral system. We analyzed physician notes using GPT-4o to determine reasons for missed screenings.

Results

Of 8,240 unscreened patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 43% received a referral, and only 16% completed screening within 1 year. Demographic, provider, and socioeconomic factors predicted adherence,

SUBMITTER: Ayati A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12583403 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature