title: Revisiting Diabetes 2000: challenges in establishing nationwide diabetic retinopathy prevention programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of the Diabetes 2000 program, an initiative launched by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 1990 to improve nationwide screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to reduce the prevalence and severity of the condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, observational case study of Diabetes 2000 program.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a perspective piece with a review of literature and personal opinions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with diabetes are likely to see an increase in the disease burdens associated with DR unless effective programs for early detection and control of DR are implemented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite recent efforts to educate both patients and physicians alike about the importance of routine DR screening, the lessons learned from the Diabetes 2000 program illustrate the need for new strategies capable of improving accessibility to high-quality eye care, increasing involvement of primary care physicians in DR screening and encouraging at-risk individuals to seek testing.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02138, USA. rhazin@mail.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Ribhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hazin
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colyer
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: Mohammed K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Barazi
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001766:Blindness / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human