Assessment of screening for diabetic retinopathy through a clinical audit in a rural primary health care unit in the interior of Minas Gerais

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus with a major impact on health, but its diagnosis through ophthalmoscopy and early treatment have been shown to reduce progression to visual loss. In the area assigned by the primary health care center where the present study was carried out, the medical team noticed a significant number of people who did not have a fundus examination periodically. Objective: To assess the rate of people adequately screened for retinopathy among those with type 2 diabetes in this rural location. Method: This study was an experience report of conducting a clinical audit to assess the rate of retinopathy screening among type 2 diabetics in a primary health care center. For this purpose, a spreadsheet with diabetic patients was generated electronically by the e-SUS record with subsequent reading of the record of the last two years in search of mentioning the performance of ophthalmoscopy. Results: The report generated 3736 active registrations, of which 181 were diabetic, of which, 156 were selected for analysis because they were proven to be type 2 diabetics. The screening rate in the last two years was 13.4%. In 61.9% of the cases, fundoscopy was performed at the primary health care center itself. Conclusion: The clinical audit was a useful tool in confirming and delimiting the suspicion of a low rate of screening for diabetic retinopathy. The accomplishment of fundoscopy by the trained family and community doctor was a strategy that allowed an increase in this percentage.