It’s as easy as going to the doctor, but it’s an appointment you’ll want to keep for the sake of your sight.
For patients who have diabetes, it’s vitally important to be screened for diabetic retinopathy; the leading cause of blindness in adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This can develop in anyone who has either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
“The longer someone has diabetes, and the less controlled their blood sugar is, the more likely they are to develop the condition,” said Ellie Lloyd, manager of outpatient wellness for Meritus Health.
Meritus Health Primary Care locations are now using artificial intelligence to be able to screen for, and diagnose, diabetic retinopathy all in one doctor’s visit.
As the first health system in Maryland to offer the testing, Meritus Health is making access to testing easy and without complications.
“Ensuring patients receive their annual eye exam is critical in the management of diabetes, and we are happy to offer testing for diabetic retinopathy in our clinics,” said Lloyd.
The testing equipment is creatively called EyeArt, and was developed by Eyenuk out of California.
“Meritus currently has the most locations in Maryland offering the EyeArt technology to diabetes patients, as compared to any other EyeArt user in Maryland,” according to Frank Cheng, president of Eyenuk.
Bringing diabetic eye exams to the primary care setting ensures that patients receive expert care, close to home.
