Access to Diabetes Eye Health Services
Understanding and improving access to eye health services in AotearoaDiabetes can cause bleeding from vessels on the retina in the back of the eye, which can lead to vision loss. People with diabetes can prevent the chance of vision loss with good control of their diabetes, and by attending regular retinal screening appointments, so that early changes can be detected and treated.
Our research aims to understand how we can improve diabetes eye care services in Aotearoa so that everyone with diabetes can retain good eye health, by accessing the eye care that they need, when they need it.
Associate Professor Matire Harwood and SOVS PhD candidate Jaymie Rogers describe how diabetes eye care services could be more accessible.
Our research
How are services delivered?
The way that diabetes eye screening services are operated differs throughout Aotearoa. In this project we are summarising the range of service models that are currently used, by reviewing documents and talking to people with specific knowledge of diabetes eye screening services across the country. This work will provide evidence that policy makers can draw on to strengthen New Zealand’s diabetes eye care policies.
Are people routinely accessing diabetes eye care services?
We are working collaboratively with people living with diabetes, their whānau and service providers to understand where, how, and why people with diabetes become disconnected from diabetes eye care services and identify strategies to improve equitable access and ultimately avoid vision loss.
How could diabetes eye care services be improved?
We know from our research that diabetes eye care services in Aotearoa are not accessible for everyone who needs them. An important part of our work involves talking directly with people who need diabetes eye care services, their whānau, and service providers to understand where, how, and why people with diabetes become disconnected from diabetes eye care services. We hope this information will allow us to develop eye care services that are accessible to more people.
How many people are living with diabetes?
As part of New Zealand’s first population-based eye health survey we will investigate how many people in New Zealand are living with diabetes, and whether they are accessing the health services that they need.
Please visit our population health survey page for up-to-date information about the survey.
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Access to diabetes eye care services in Aotearoa New Zealand: who and how often?
Key messages: Everyone with diabetes needs regular access to eye services, but these services are not equally accessible to everyone in Aotearoa. Underserved populations include Māori and Pacific people, younger and older age groups (compared to people in their...
Research team
Jacqui Ramke
Associate Professor
Pushkar Silwal
Research Fellow
Renata Watene
Ngā Puhi | Tainui | PhD candidate
Nimisha Chabba
PhD candidate
Maryam Pirouzi
Research Fellow
Collaborators
Te Whatu Ora and The University of Auckland:
Professor Rinki Murphy, Dr David Squirrel, Dr Corina Grey, Deepa Kumar
School of Population Health, The University of Auckland:
Associate Professor Matire Harwood, Dr Arier Lee
Te Whatu Ora:
Dr Carol Barker, Tarati Blair-Hunt,
Funders
This research is supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC Activation Grant and HRC Emerging Researcher First Grant: A/Prof Jacqueline Ramke)