Keeping a Watchful Eye on our Diabetic Patients: An Education for Present and Future Professionals of HPD

Objective. To increase the awareness of how an optometric evaluation should be coalesced with other fields of health care to increase early detection of diabetic retinopathy. Background. Vision Objective 28-5 of Healthy People 2010 is to reduce visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy. We feel that many health professionals are themselves not educated on the role an optometrist has beyond prescribing glasses. Early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy is the key to preventing unnecessary vision loss. Methods. We sought to increase awareness by creating a multi-pronged presentation (video, survey, and face-to-face) on the role of optometrists in the diagnosis and care of diabetes and presenting it in a high-traffic area of the Terry Building. A total of 80 students and faculty were educated. Results. The group with the best knowledge of how optometrists can help diagnose and care for diabetics was dentists. The group with the least knowledge was osteopathic medicine students. Conclusions. Diabetes carries with it a broad spectrum of risk factors and should be treated as a disease that crosses all disciplines of healthcare. Our results show that perhaps awareness of the extent of diabetes amongst NSU’s health professions division is lacking. Optometric evaluation, although it cannot offer definitive diagnosis, should be coalesced with other fields of health care to increase early detection of diabetes.