Vigilance of Family Medicine Physicians and Ophthalmologists Early Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type-II Diabetic Patients
Individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) require annual assessments by an ophthalmologist to verify the presence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), facilitating the timely initiation of treatment. This study investigates the vigilance of family medicine physicians and ophthalmologists in the early diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy among Type II diabetic patients. A study involving 158 working-age participants diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) in Bangladesh from August 2023 to July 2024 examined the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy. The study involved family medicine physicians and ophthalmologists, who assessed the fundus using pupillary dilation to determine the severity of diabetic retinopathy and mascular edema. The severity of diabetic retinopathy was assessed using the AAO categorization. Participants with adequate retinas were advised to have periodic examinations, while those with hemorrhage symptoms were provided appropriate treatment. The statistical package employed was SPSS version 25. Unpaired t-tests have been used to assess average variations among participants. There were 19.8% patients of diabetic retinopathy were diagnosed by family medicine physician with age of about 42 years (55.8%). Later ophthalmologists confirmed the diabetic retinopathy in cases of about 29.2%. In proliferative diabetic retinopathy diagnosed cases, only one case was from early stages, while others were at high risk. There was no single patient with advanced stage. Individuals just confirmed to have type-II diabetes mellitus have demonstrated an increased risk for diabetic retinopathy. People aged above twenty eight displayed a 2.5 fold heightened chance of developing diabetic retinopathy, whereas women showed a 1.4 folds of greater risk relative to men. Understanding readings remained substantially lower than lack of knowledge objectives, yielding a P value of less than 0.05. This study concludes the significance of early diabetic retinopathy detection by family physicians, leading to improved outcomes and confirmed by ophthalmologists.
