A Vision for the Future: Improving Early Detection and Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy in Rural and Underserved Settings

Target Audience
This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of primary care clinicians, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses who care for patients from rural and underserved areas.

Statement of Need/Program Overview
Diabetic retinopathy affects an estimated 7.7 million Americans and is the most common cause of blindness in working-age adults. Since the prevalence of diabetes is higher in rural versus urban communities, rural residents are at increased risk for this complication. Rural-specific barriers, including transportation issues, distance to health clinics, physician shortages, and limited exposure to diabetes education, result in further disparities in care. In this activity, expert faculty will discuss guideline recommendations for screening patients with diabetes and novel treatment options for diabetic retinopathy. Strategies to improve care in rural and underserved settings will also be reviewed.

This enduring activity is a recorded session from the 2nd Annual Rural Health Clinical Congress that took place on November 21, 2020.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Implement strategies to improve screening for diabetic retinopathy
Evaluate recent clinical data on the efficacy and safety of diabetic retinopathy treatments to facilitate management decisions and patient education strategies
Discuss strategies, including the use of telemedicine, for improving assessment and management of diabetic retinopathy in rural and underserved areas