Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance is Important

The Need for Diabetic Eye Exam Compliance
We are asking and hoping that patients with diabetes will to do their part in helping to preserve their vision by being compliant with the recommendation to have regular dilated eye exams. Although there is no cure for diabetic retinopathy, with careful management of risk factors such as blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, moderation of alcohol consumption and routine exercise along with regular annual dilated eye exams, the potential vision loss from diabetes and associated diabetic eye problems can be minimized.

Researchers reporting in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, studied and identified variables that predict adherence with annual eye examinations using the Compliance with Annual Diabetic Eye Exams Survey (CADEES), a new questionnaire designed to measure health beliefs related to diabetic retinopathy and annual eye examinations. A number of factors seemed to influence diabetic patient compliance with annual eye exams including beliefs concerning whether insurance covered most of the eye examination cost, whether it was difficult to schedule or physically get to an eye exam appointment, whether patients had been counseled and made obtaining an eye examination a top priority and whether they had been previously told that they had signs of diabetic retinopathy. Clinicians can also help patients with compliance with the diabetic eye exams counseling newly diagnosed patients more diligently along with those with uncontrolled blood glucose on the importance of annual eye examinations and discussing and helping patients remove perceived barriers and misconceptions.

If you or someone you know has diabetes they need to have regular annual dilated eye exams to prevent vision loss from diabetic eye diseases and problems. Please share this information with anyone you know who is diabetic and ask them to call D’Ambrosio Eye Care at 800-325-3937, visiting D’Ambrosio Eye Care, Google+ or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can schedule an appointment for a diabetic eye exam.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440.