Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic mellitus (DM) is the most common chronic degenerative disease accounting for high morbidity and mortality rate. The number of people with DM in Indonesia is the fourth highest among nations worldwide. According to The Diabcare Asia 2008 Study, 42% of diabetic patients in Indonesia suffered from retinopathy, 6.4% of which are proliferative retinopathy. Blindness from diabetic retinopathy is a major health concern as it reduces patients’ quality of life and productivity, resulting in social burden. Delayed diagnosis remains the main challenge in diabetic retinopathy management. General practitioners are required to be able to diagnose diabetic retinopathy in early stage through direct ophthalmoscope or fundus photography. General practitioners also hold prominent role in providing thorough education, managing diabetic retinopathy-related risk factors and determining referral cases. The risk of blindness due to diabetic retinopathy will be decreased by more than 90% when general practitioners accomplish their role optimally.