Diabetic retinopathy is one of the microvascular complications of diabetes and a major cause of blindness in adults. Early screening is an effective way to reduce blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy. The diabetic retinopathy is one of the chronic retinal diseases highlighted in the “14th Five-Year” National Eye Health Plan (2021-2025). The establishment of effective and practical community screening model is a powerful guarantee to complete early screening. It is of great significance to standardize screening methods, screening personnel duties, equipment allocation, referral conditions and screening sustainability. Chinese fundus disease and related field experts developed the consensus through a serious, comprehensive, and complete discussion, to provide more reference for establishing a suitable community screening model of diabetic retinopathy and increasing the screening rate of diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetes retinopathy (DR) is listed as one of the chronic diseases that should be focused on in the “14th Five-Year” National Eye Health Plan (2021-2025). Early screening is one of the effective measures to reduce blindness caused by DR. Establishing an efficient and practical community screening model is a powerful guarantee for completing early screening. The Ocular Fundus Diseases Group of the Ophthalmology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association has led the development of Expert consensus on community screening of diabetic retinopathy among DR community screening experts that is suitable for the current national situation, in order to guide and promote the further improvement of DR community screening work in China. This Expert Consensus provides detailed specifications on the current domestic trend of DR, the necessity of screening, the role of artificial intelligence grading, screening process, and quality control. This interpretation further emphasizes the importance of DR community screening, while emphasizing the responsibilities of different departments in the screening process. Finally, recommendations are provided for the sustainability of DR community screening. It is hoped that the screening rate of DR in China can be improved and blindness can be reduced by DR through Expert consensus on community screening of diabetic retinopathy and interpretation of the content.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness among the working-age population, affecting approximately one-third of diabetes patients globally. As the country with the world's largest diabetic population, China faces a severe situation in DR prevention and control due to the vast number of people affected. Early screening and timely intervention have been proven effective in slowing disease progression and significantly reducing the risk of vision loss. However, constrained by multiple barriers such as uneven distribution of medical resources, insufficient primary-level screening capacity, low patient awareness, and inadequate health insurance coverage, China's current DR screening rate remains below 10%, significantly lower than that of developed countries. To address these challenges, various regions in China are actively exploring innovative screening models utilizing artificial intelligence technology, with some preliminary successes in practice. Concurrently, the "14th Five-Year Plan" for National Eye Health explicitly calls for enhancing primary care screening capabilities and implementing a tiered diagnosis and treatment system, providing policy support for DR screening efforts. Nevertheless, issues such as the limited coverage of primary-level screening and insufficient standardization in technology application remain prominent. Future efforts should further strengthen primary-level capacity building, promote multidisciplinary collaboration, standardize technical procedures, and improve policy support. This comprehensive approach aims to achieve broad coverage of DR prevention and treatment, effectively reduce blindness rates, and ultimately enhance the overall level of national eye health.