Diabetes: annual retinal screening
Indicator
The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, who have a record of retinal screening in the preceding 12 months.
Indicator type
General practice indicator suitable for use in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.
This indicator was previously included in the Quality and Outcomes Framework as DM011 but removed in 2014/15 when it became an Indicator No Longer In QOF.
This document does not represent formal NICE guidance. For a full list of NICE indicators, see our menu of indicators.
To find out how to use indicators and how we develop them, see our NICE indicator process guide.
Rationale
People with diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy. The aim of the indicator is to encourage uptake of retinal screening.
Evidence shows that screening for diabetic retinal disease is effective at detecting unrecognised sight-threatening retinopathy and that the success of screening depends on continued high levels of uptake. The NHS provides a national diabetic retinopathy screening programme for all people with diabetes, as recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. GPs are not responsible for providing retinal screening under this indicator, but are responsible for ensuring that people with diabetes have annual retinal screening.
Source guidance
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Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline NG17 (2015, updated 2022), recommendations 1.15.5, 1.15.6 and 1.15.7
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Type 2 diabetes in adults: management. NICE guideline NG28 (2015, updated 2022), recommendation 1.8.25
Specification
Numerator: The number of patients with diabetes, on the register, who have a record of retinal screening in the preceding 12 months.
Denominator: The number of patients with diabetes on the register.
Calculation: (Numerator/denominator)*100.
Exclusions: None.
Minimum population: The indicator would be appropriate to assess performance at individual general practice level.
ISBN: 978-1-4731-6107-8