PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - James M. Gill
AU  - David M. Cole
AU  - Harry M. Lebowitz
AU  - James J. Diamond
TI  - Accuracy of Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy by Family Physicians
AID  - 10.1370/afm.67
DP  - 2004 May 01
TA  - The Annals of Family Medicine
PG  - 218--220
VI  - 2
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/2/3/218.short
4100  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/2/3/218.full
SO  - Ann Fam Med2004 May 01; 2
AB  - BACKGROUND We wanted to examine the accuracy of family physicians’ screening for diabetic retinopathy using standardized criteria and a nonmydriatic ophthalmoscope. METHODS Eleven family physicians assessed 28 standardized patients with diabetes mellitus using the PanOptic ophthalmoscope. Their assessments of whether the patients required referral to an ophthalmologist were compared with the reference standard of retinal diagrams. RESULTS The mean sensitivity for the family physicians was 87% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83%–91%) with a specificity of 57% (95% CI, 46%–68%). Overall agreement was moderate, with a mean κ = .43 (95% CI, 0.39%–0.47%). CONCLUSIONS Using standardized criteria and a nonmydriatic ophthalmoscope, family physicians were fairly accurate in screening patients for diabetic retinopathy. Whereas this technique is not sufficiently accurate to replace routine referral for all patients with diabetes, it can be used to improve care for those patients who fail to get routine eye screenings.