Community Partnership

Diabetes: A 60-Second Guide (PDF)

The toolkit workgroup of New Mexico Health Care Takes On Diabetes (NMHCTOD) has taken the lead in developing quarterly publications, entitled Diabetes: A 60-Secont Guide, that are distributed as inserts in printed newsletters for health care providers. Each issue will feature on a specific diabetes topic area and will provide information about prevalence rates in New Mexico. In addition, the publication will reinforce the NMHCTOD clinical practice guidelines, draw attention to local activities and recommend three to four provider resources on the featured topic. Both the newsletter and additional resources may be downloaded from this website.

The first issue, developed and distributed in Fall 2001, focused on retinal eye exams for patients with diabetes. Subsequent issues of the publication over the next year will focus on the ABCs of Diabetes, which include A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol.

Diabetes Eye Examination Report (PDF)

This form, created by the New Mexico Ophthalmological Society in collaboration with the New Mexico Medical Review Association, promotes communication between a patient’s eye care professional and primary care provider, assists with tracking, and promotes the maintenance of comprehensive medical records. Give this form to your patients with diabetes and encourage them to have their eye care professionals complete it and return it to the PCP’s office following their annual exam. This form can also be found on the New Mexico Ophthalmological Society’s website at www.nmos.org.

Sample Patient Reminder Card for PCPs and Sample Patient Reminder Card for Eye Care Professionals (PDF)

The use of reminder cards is an effective strategy to encourage patients to receive care and facilitate communication between health care professionals and their patients with diabetes. New Mexico Health Care Takes on Diabetes provides these in two different formats as samples for use by either primary care providers or eye care professionals. These reminder cards, written in an easy-to-read format, encourage your patients with diabetes to visit their ophthalmologist or qualified optometrist to receive their annual dilated retinal exam. If patients have already received their annual screening, they are encouraged to share exam results with the PCP’s office in an effort to maintain comprehensive medical records.

Patient Education Brochures
"Don't lose sight of diabetic eye disease"
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/DLSofDED.WebOnly.pdf

"ˇOjo con su visión!"
http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/espanol/ojodiabetes/insidecov.htm

Patients with diabetes look to you for guidance and your recommendation carries a great deal of influence. You can offer your patients this educational piece designed by the National Eye Institute, one of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health. This piece describes diabetic eye disease to your patients simply and clearly. It addresses such topics as what diabetic retinopathy is, its symptoms, how it is detected, treatment options, and preventive measures. A comparative piece is also available in Spanish. These materials do not have copyright restrictions.

Website Resources

These organizations’ websites have information regarding diabetic eye disease and treatment that you may find of value.*

American Diabetes Association
http://www.diabetes.org/main/type2/complications/retinopathy/eye_care.jsp

American Foundation for the Blind
http://www.afb.org/info_document_view.asp?documentid=195

American Optometric Association
http://www.aoanet.org,
click on Eye Conditions and Concerns >Eye Diseases > Diabetic Retinopathy.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/tcyd/eye.htm

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
http://www.jdf.org/living_w_diabetes/pages/eyes.php

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/pubs/complications/eyes/eyes.htm

Prevent Blindness America
http://www.preventblindness.org/eye_problems/diabetic_retFAQ.html

*Please note that these websites do not necessarily represent the views of the New Mexico Health Care Takes on Diabetes coalition. They are listed for your reference and convenience. NMHCTOD does not evaluate websites for content accuracy or applicability to any clinical situation.

Taking on Diabetes
601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
South Building, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 778-3281
takingondiabetes@ahip.org