Ophthalmology Overview: Progress in Diabetic Retinopathy Management, Nurse Involvement in Retinal Care, and More

Highlighting the latest ophthalmology-related news reported across MJH Life Sciences^™.

Assessing Progress in Management of Diabetes, Diabetic Retinopathy

With an estimated 642 million patients projected to be affected by diabetes globally by 2040, an article by Modern Retina^™ highlighted the progress made so far in understanding the epidemiology, natural history, causal mechanisms, and treatments for one of most common complications associated with the condition, diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Affecting 49% of patients with diabetes, the prevention of DR was indicated as improving across western Europe and high-income areas of North America, potentially due to nationwide DR screening programs, improved glycemic control, and better therapies.

For underserved communities, the use of hand-held devices may work to help monitor patients, although a lack of patient awareness continues to be a substantial contributor to poor outcomes and nonadherence to eye care guidelines.

Why Nurses May Be Best Suited to Inject Dexamethasone Implants

As one of the most commonly performed procedures in ophthalmology, intravitreal injections are projected to increase, with an aging population requiring treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration and a rising diabetes population who may develop diabetic maculopathy.

To meet this increasing demand, an article by Modern Retina^™ highlights the efficacy shown in prior studies indicating that nurses and other allied health care professionals, including optometrists and orthoptists, can safely inject anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Although the United Kingdom is at the forefront of adopting the nurse injector as a model for service delivery, efforts to include dexamethasone, a process involving a larger needle (19 gauge) than those use for anti-VEGF injections (30 gauge), has so far been met with apprehension.

If injection qualifications for intravitreal injections were expanded to nurses, the article highlights the significant cost savings and wait time decrease that could result, as well as a maintained level of safety.

Applicability of Video Content Technology in Ophthalmology Practice Care

Providing ophthalmologists with worldwide access to high-value, short-form video content, Ocular Innovations’ Human Experience Platform was spotlighted in a recent article by Ophthalmology Times^® as a potential way to optimize the overall patient experience.

The platform works to push videos directly to patients’ smartphones without the need to download an app, access email, or log in to any account. Allowing patients to view videos at their leisure from anywhere, the platform informs patients on what to expect in surgical processes, treatment options, and recovery.

The short-form video content library applies across a variety of vision topics, including cataracts, LASIK and refractive surgeries, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and more.