Karen A. Funk, Senior Medical Director, Primary Care-Peaks Region, MD, MPP
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults in the US, and is a complication of diabetes. However, with early detection and appropriate treatment, the risk of blindness from diabetic retinopathy can be reduced by over 95%.
Intermountain Health is making it even easier for patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to stay current on their recommended annual eye exams, by offering diabetic retinopathy screenings through all of our primary care providers across Colorado and Montana.
Any time within a healthcare system that there are multiple locations you have to address your health needs, it can create barriers for patients to get the care they need, in the time frame that they need it in.
A diabetic retinopathy exam is a crucial part of managing diabetes, as it helps detect early signs of damage to the retina, which can lead to vision loss or blindness.
Traditionally, these type of eye exams and screenings have to be scheduled through an optometrist or ophthalmologist. But as an organization that is focused on proactive care, Intermountain Health saves a trip—and an extra co-pay—by including the exam in every chronic disease management appointment with your primary care provider.
Each of our 30 clinics across the Front Range are equipped with at least one of these specialized instruments, which can return results within 24-48 hours, and let you and your provider quickly talk about next steps and referrals, if necessary.
This type of early intervention helps bring chronic disease management into primary care, making it more efficient and more patient-centered—which is part of our commitment to our Colorado community.
It’s a shift not only supported by our patients, but also local ophthalmology practices. They don’t see it as taking business away from their practice, because specialists are instead able to focus on patients with more complex and serious eye issues.
Along with regular eye exams, your primary care provider can work with you to prevent eye disease through things like managing your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels—as well as making adjustments to your medication.
An important takeaway here is that diabetic eye disease doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages. This is another type of prevention. If you have diabetes, which is a chronic disease, and you see your primary care provider regularly who has access to this kind of technology, you can help prevent complications from diabetes. That’s what it’s about. It’s keeping your diabetes in control and preventing the problems that will make you more sick and interfere with your quality of life.
Dr. Karen Funk is an experienced family medicine physician with Intermountain Health and is passionate about providing comprehensive and compassionate care for all ages.
Visit https://connect.intermountainhealth.org/denver-primary-care to find an Intermountain Health primary care physician near you.
