Ophthalmic_Diabetes

Ophthalmic Diabetes INTRODUCTION Optometrists, through their clinical education, training, experience, and broad geographic distribution, have the means to provide primary eye and vision care for a significant portion of the American public and are often the first health care practitioners to examine patients with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) or ocular manifestations of DM. This Optometric Clinical Practice Guideline for the Care of the Patient with Diabetes Mellitus is designed to provide optometrists with examination and management protocols to reduce the risks of vision loss in patients with DM through timely diagnosis and appropriate referral and intervention. This Guideline will assist optometrists in achieving the following goals: · Identify patients with undiagnosed DM · Identify patients at risk of vision loss from DM · Reduce the risk of vision loss in patients with DM through timely diagnosis and intervention · Improve the quality of care rendered to patients with DM · Disseminate information and continue the education of health care practitioners regarding the ocular complications of DM and the availability of vision rehabilitation programs · Stress availability of visual rehabilitation for those with vision loss from DM through low vision devices and psychosocial support. I. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM [ BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS ] diabetes, patients, dm, mellitus, type, percent, vision, glucose, loss, care, risk, insulin, dr, diabetic, retinopathy, mg/dl, blindness, treatment, through, table, health, greater, fasting, eye, equal, early, diagnosis, contents, back, american, study, referral, plasma