More Stats, Resources for Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month

November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month and there's lots of information and resources available from various organizations to help you be prepared to talk to patients.

As we reported last week, new research from Prevent Blindness estimates more than 8 million Americans have diabetic retinopathy, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years.

According to new information from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), 60 percent of Americans with diabetes skip their annual eye exams and 58 percent of patients do not have regular follow-up exams.

And the annual American Eye-Q® survey conducted by the American Optometric Association (AOA) found 79 percent of Americans do not know diabetic eye diseases have no visible symptoms and more than half did not know a comprehensive eye exam can detect diabetes.

To help educate patients during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, here are some resources that may help:  

• Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free resources on their website, as well as a "Healthy Eyes Education Series, Adult Vision Problems Module."
• AAO has a patient education page on diabetic retinopathy that answers common questions and includes informational videos.
• AOA also offers an educational resource for patients on their site with videos.
• The National Eye Institute (NEI) offers resources through its National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP), including a Diabetes and Healthy Eyes Toolkit, outreach tools and tips, and social media toolkit, infographics, and more.

Image courtesy AAO