Diabetic retinopathy
Adult

Ophthalmology

Useful Management Information

  • RANZCO guidelines suggest rescreening in one year for patients with mild Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR)
  • Recommend annual diabetic retinopathy photo-screening (photo-screening should be read by an accredited practitioner)
  • Please consider clinical modifiers and note (as applicable)
    • Impact on employment
    • Impact on education
    • Impact on home
    • Impact on ADLs
    • Ability to care for others
    • Personal frailty or safety
    • Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander

Clinical resources

Patient resources

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?
Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)
  • Diagnosis of diabetes and any of the following:
    • proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)
    • Vitreous haemorrhage
    • severe Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR)
    • assessment of diabetic retinopathy in pregnancy
    • centre involving diabetic macular oedema (Definition: thickening within 500 microns of the foveal centre associated with microaneurysms, haemorrhages or hard exudates)
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)
  • Diagnosis of diabetes and any of the following:
    • moderate Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR)
    • non-centre involving diabetic macular oedema (Definition: thickening within 2-disc diameters (but not within 500 microns) of the foveal centre associated with microaneurysms, haemorrhages or hard exudates).
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)
  • No category 3 criteria

NB: Routine referral for screening without evidence of diabetic retinopathy, or for mild NPDR, will not be accepted.

  • If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested:
    • Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.)
  • Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service

Essential Referral Information

  • Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) (vision with most recent distance spectacles)
  • Date diagnosed/duration

Additional Referral Information

  • Private ophthalmologist or optometrist report including VA, refraction and impact of symptoms (highly desirable)
  • Optical coherence tomography (OCT) results
  • Type of diabetes and duration of disease
  • Previous eye treatment e.g. retinal laser
  • HbA1c (most recent within the last six months and previous three if available)
  • Fasting blood glucose results
  • Fasting lipids results
  • Blood pressure
Last updated 13 November 2023

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Ophthalmology (E-Blueslips)
Ophthalmology Paediatrics (E-Blueslips)

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Booking and Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

1300 559 083

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

Service Availability

Dr Fraser Imrie
Medical Director Ophthalmology

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

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