Diabetic retinal photographic screening: a model for introducing audit and improving general practitioner care of diabetic patients in a rural setting.
This paper describes the addition of diabetic retinal screening using retinal photography to an existing immunisation audit by a General Practitioner (GP) Network in a semi-rural area 60-min drive from central Wellington, New Zealand. The employment of a nurse-facilitator who visited practices to assist the setting up of diabetic registers and the subsequent auditing of patterns of referral for retinal photography was seen as a first step in a process that would lead to audit of the care of diabetic patients by GPs in the Network. This should lead to a measurable improvement in health-care delivery to diabetic patients in this area and is a model that could be adapted by any group of rural or semirural GPs within a defined geographical area.
McKenzie
A
A
RACGP Training Program North Queensland, Townsville, Australia. andrew.mckenzie@racgp.org.au
Grylls
J
J
D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009520:New Zealand; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000458:organization & administration; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration; D012042:Registries; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000379:methods*