Diabetes care in an Australian population: frequency of screening examinations for eye and foot complications of diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this work was to study the frequency of examining for diabetic eye and foot complications in an Australian population and to study factors associated with regular screening.


METHODS
The Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) was a population-based study of 11,247 people from randomly selected areas of Australia. Participants identified as having previously diagnosed diabetes (n=475) were invited to participate in the complications study. Measures included foot examination, retinopathy photography, and self-report use of health care services.


RESULTS
Seventy-seven percent of participants reported having an eye examination within the previous 2 years, and 50% reported having their feet examined by a health professional in the previous year. Type of diabetes treatment (odds ratio 1.46, 95% CI 0.85-2.50 for tablets versus diet alone and 4.17, 1.71-10.17 for insulin or insulin and tablets versus diet alone) and visiting a diabetes nurse educator in the previous 12 months (2.14, 1.18-3.87) were independent predictors of having had an eye examination. Duration of diabetes (1.33, 1.06-1.67 per year) and visiting a diabetes nurse educator in the previous 12 months (1.89, 1.20-2.95) were independent predictors of a foot examination.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has shown that retinopathy screening is performed more frequently than foot screening in Australia. This may be due to the implementation of eye screening programs and awareness campaigns. Foot screening appears to be poor, with less than one-half of the population reporting a regular examination for foot complications. In Australia, diabetes nurse educators play a key role in promoting screening for diabetes complications.
International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia. robyn.tapp@med.monash.edu.au
Robyn J
RJ
Tapp
Paul Z
PZ
Zimmet
C Alex
CA
Harper
Maximilian P
MP
de Courten
Beverley
B
Balkau
Daniel J
DJ
McCarty
Hugh R
HR
Taylor
Timothy A
TA
Welborn
Jonathan E
JE
Shaw
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008403:Mass Screening; D008511:Medicine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D013038:Specialization
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin