Artificial Intelligence Cameras Are Preventing Vision Loss in People with Diabetes
NEW YORK (12/8/2023) – DKBmed LLC, in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic Florida network and Massachusetts General Brigham, is developing a pair of quality improvement (QI) programs that promote greater screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) in primary care settings. The Saving Sight: Vision Protection & Blindness Prevention in Diabetes QI initiatives are launching at Cleveland Clinic Florida and Massachusetts General Brigham. These quality improvement initiatives will bring artificial intelligence cameras to practices in these health systems to detect DR and DME which can cause vision loss and blindness in people with diabetes.
These initiatives are the latest additions to the successful Saving Sight series, first developed by DKBmed in 2017. Between 2017 and 2021, earlier versions of these QI programs were introduced at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, the University of Kentucky, and University of Florida: Gainesville resulted in a 36% increase in DR/DME screenings, with clinicians collectively identifying 1,405 DR cases.
Patients with diabetes should receive regular eye screening for DR/DME. Researchers estimate that upwards of 98% of vision loss in DR/DME can be averted through prompt detection and immediate treatment. Unfortunately, this ideal is not always realized in real-world settings; only 62.3% of patients with type 2 diabetes residing in the United States receive annual screenings for DR/DME in accordance with established practice guidelines. Screening rates are particularly low among African American and Hispanic individuals, who engage with clinical services at lower rates than their White counterparts.
“Like diabetes, DR and DME may be silent conditions that progress so slowly that the patient does not notice. Studies show that many people with DR or DME are not aware that they have a progressive illness that can affect their vision. In fact, DR is the leading cause of adult-onset vision loss,” notes Rishi P. Singh, MD, Staff Physician, VP and CMO of Cleveland Clinic Martin Hospitals. “Because of their relative proximity to patients, primary care providers are instrumental in efforts to identify DR/DME earlier, which remains the most effective way to prevent vision loss. Through continuing education initiatives, healthcare providers can better coordinate their efforts and communicate the importance of routine screening to their patients.”
Saving Sight: Vision Protection & Blindness Prevention in Diabetes will use a multiplatform approach and cover pertinent topics in DR/DME, such as:
- The need for regular screening and early referral of patients with DR/DME to preserve vision and achieve optimal patient outcomes.
- The evolving treatment landscape in DR/DME.
- Using retinal screening cameras with AI technology to identify DR/DME cases in primary care settings.
- Accessing a referral network of community ophthalmologists and retina specialists who should be consulted in the event that patients screen positive for DR/DME.
- Delivering patient education that reinforces the importance of annual DR/DME screening and the connection between early treatment and best outcomes.
Disclosure of Support
The Saving Sight: Vision Protection & Blindness Prevention in Diabetes quality improvement initiatives at Cleveland Clinic Florida and Massachusetts General Brigham are supported by independent medical education grants from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
About DKBmed
DKBmed is an integrated continuing medical education company operated by a team of medical education experts. DKBmed provides health care professionals with effective medical education that closes identified knowledge and practice gaps to improve patient health.Working with accredited providers, DKBmed develops innovative educational programs and quality improvement (QI) initiatives and specializes in bringing new learning methodologies to the CME landscape. DKBmed has become a leader in QI in the independent medical education space with QI projects in pain management, HIV, depression, and diabetic retinopathy. DKBmed was also an early adopter of case scenarios with recorded and live actors, TED/DKBmed Talks, 3D animation, webcasts, podcasts, e-mail, and mobile phone applications for clinicians and patients. These forward-thinking approaches enable health care professionals to learn using state-of-the-art techniques and access educational programs in a manner that is most convenient and appropriate for them.
DKBmed’s programs are accessible through the company’s website (www.dkbmed.com). They reach more than 150,000 health care professionals in primary care and in a variety of specialties and disease states including: HIV, COVID-19, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, influenza, dermatology, retinal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, asthma, multiple sclerosis, pain management, depression and viral hepatitis (HBV, HCV) and oncology.