Evaluation of a new model of care for people with complications of diabetic retinopathy: the EMERALD Study

<p><strong>Objectives:</strong><br /> The increasing diabetes prevalence and advent of new treatments for its major visual-threatening complications (diabetic macular edema [DME] and proliferative diabetic retinopathy [PDR]), which require frequent and life-long follow-up, ha...

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Main Authors: Lois, N, Cook, JA, Wang, A, Aldington, S, Mistry, H, Maredza, M, McAuley, D, Aslam, T, Bailey, C, Chong, V, Ganchi, F, Scanlon, P, Sivaprasad, S, Steel, DH, Styles, C, Azuara-Blanco, A, Prior, L, Waugh, N, EMERALD Study Group
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020
Description
Summary:<p><strong>Objectives:</strong><br /> The increasing diabetes prevalence and advent of new treatments for its major visual-threatening complications (diabetic macular edema [DME] and proliferative diabetic retinopathy [PDR]), which require frequent and life-long follow-up, have markedly increased hospital demands. Resulting delays in the evaluation/treatment of patients are leading to sight loss. Strategies to increase capacity of medical retina clinics are urgently needed. EMERALD tested diagnostic accuracy, acceptability and costs of a new health care pathway for people with previously treated DME/PDR.</p><br /> <p><strong>Design:</strong><br /> Prospective, multicentric, case-referent, cross-sectional, diagnostic accuracy study, undertaken in 13 hospitals in the United Kingdom.</p><br /> <p><strong>Participants:</strong><br /> Adults with type 1 or 2 diabetes and previously successfully treated DME/PDR who, at the time of enrolment, had active or inactive disease.</p><br /> <p><strong>Methods:</strong><br /> A new health care pathway entailing multimodal imaging (spectral domain optical coherence tomography [SD-OCT] for DME, and 7-field Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] and ultra-wide-field fundus images [UWF] for PDR) interpreted by trained non-medical staff (ophthalmic graders) to detect re-activation of disease was compared with the current standard care (ophthalmologists face-to-face examination).</p><br /> <p><strong>Main Outcome Measures:</strong><br /> Primary outcome: sensitivity of the new pathway. Secondary outcomes: specificity; agreement between pathways; costs; acceptability; proportions requiring subsequent ophthalmologist assessment, unable to undergo imaging, with inadequate images/indeterminate findings.</p><br /> <p><strong>Results:</strong><br /> The new pathway had sensitivity of 97% (95% confidence interval [CI] 92-99%) and specificity of 31% (95% CI 23-40%) to detect DME. For PDR, sensitivity and specificity using 7-field ETDRS (85%, 95% CI 77-91%; 48%; 95% CI 41-56%, respectively) or UWF (83%, 95% CI 75-89%; 54%; 95% CI 46-61%, respectively) were comparable. For detection of high risk PDR sensitivity and specificity were higher when using UWF images (87%, 95% CI 78-93%; 49% 95% CI 42-56%, respectively for UWF, versus 80%, 95% CI 69-88%; 40% CI 34-47%, respectively, for 7-field ETDRS). Participants preferred ophthalmologist’s assessments; in their absence, wished immediate feedback by graders, maintaining periodic ophthalmologist evaluations. When compared with the current standard care, the new pathway could save £1,390/100 DME visits and between £461-£1,189/100 PDR visits.</p><br /> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong><br /> The new ophthalmic grader pathway has acceptable sensitivity and would release resources. Users’ suggestions should guide implementation.</p>