title: Teleretinography into diabetes integrated care: an Italian experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Integrated care, by allowing information exchange among health professionals, improves outcomes and favours a reduction in hospital admission in diabetes. Retinal complications can be sight-threatening, and diabetic patients often miss the suggested yearly clinical examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teleretinography can be easily performed in patients attending Diabetes Clinics: images are sent to a remote ophthalmologist, grading and instructions are received and forwarded to General Practitioners by a dedicated software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We here report the results of teleretinography performed in our Diabetes Clinic in 362 patients missing the yearly fundus examination: 253 patients showed no diabetic retinopathy, 86 a mild form, and 23 needed referral to hospital settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teleretinography is a user-friendly, time-saving and cost-effective technique, easily integrable into integrated care, allowing a better adherence to guidelines.
authors.affiliation: UOSD Oftalmologia Sociale Territoriale, AUSL Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Perilli
authors.affiliation: UOC Endocrinologia e Malattie del Metabolismo, Centro di Diabetologia, AUSL Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosamaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Biagio
authors.affiliation: General Practitioner, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seller
authors.affiliation: opeNETica srl, Montesilvano, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruotolo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Prevenzione, AUSL Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Granchelli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Prevenzione, AUSL Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marisi
authors.affiliation: Servizio Prevenzione e Tutela Sanitaria, Assessorato Sanità, Regione Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Melena
authors.affiliation: UOC Endocrinologia e Malattie del Metabolismo, Centro di Diabetologia, AUSL Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000379:methods*; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D058005:General Practitioners; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult