Nearly all surveyed optometrists (97.6 percent) routinely performed annual dilated funduscopic examinations on their diabetic patients in their offices, according to the American Optometric Association’s 2010 Caring for the Eyes of America survey. Seven in ten ODs (71.4 percent) also reported that they performed fundus photography in their offices. Four out of five (80.1 percent) routinely send written reports to the primary care practitioners, internists and/or endocrinologists regarding the ocular health status of their diabetic patients.
Only 80 percent of ODs send a written report documenting a dilated fundus exam on a diabetic to primary care physicians! This means 20 percent of the ODs don’t understand the importance of the written report to the PCP. PCPs are audited by third parties. The third parties are specifically looking at the documentation in the PCPs record for diabetics. If there is no evidence that diabetic patient has had an annual dilated fundus exam, the PCP is docked points. PCPs are smart. They send patients to eye doctors who do dilated fundus exams and send a written report back. Just like all doctors, the PCPs want to come out of an audit looking good. So, from a practice management perspective, do you want the PCP to send you diabetic patients? Then make sure you send the PCP a written report documenting the dilated fundus examination on diabetic patients.
