DIABETIC-RETINOPATHY - EXAMINATION PRACTICES AND REFERRAL PATTERNS OFGENERAL-PRACTITIONERS

Objective: To investigate general practitioners' (GPs') examination an d referral practices for diabetic retinopathy. Methods: A questionnair e survey of a random stratified sample of 500 Victorian GPs. Results: The response rate was 88%. 53% of GPs examined none or less than half of their patients with diabetes for diabetic retinopathy. Those who di d examine for retinopathy rarely performed funduscopy through a dilate d pupil and 65% reported that they never did. Only 37% had dilating dr ops in their surgery. Only 45% often or always tested visual acuity. 8 8% often or always referred patients at the recommended frequency to a n ophthalmologist. Conclusions: Although most GPs do not perform dilat ed fundus examinations, they report referring their patients with diab etes for assessment by an ophthalmologist at an early stage to prevent vision loss. Referral chain breakdown may explain the discrepancy bet ween GPs' reported referral rates and the lower rates of ophthalmic ex amination reported in the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project.