Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema in a primary care-based teleophthalmology program for American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diabetes and its complications are more common in American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) than other US racial/ethnic populations. Prior reports of diabetic retinopathy (DR) prevalence in AI/AN are dated, and research on diabetic macular edema (DME) is limited. This study characterizes the recent prevalence of DR and DME in AI/AN using primary care-based teleophthalmology surveillance.

Methods

This is a multi-site, clinic-based, cross-sectional study of DR and DME. The sample is composed of AI /AN patients with diabetes (n = 53,998), served by the nationally distributed Indian Health Service-Joslin Vision Network Teleophthalmology Program (IHS-JVN) in primary care clinics of US Indian Health Service (IHS), Tribal, and Urban Indian health care facilities (I/T/U

SUBMITTER: Bursell SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6010214 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature