Therapies exist to prevent or delay the progression of eye disease if detected early. Early detection of diabetic eye complications may require special expertise. From a public health perspective, medically appropriate yet cost effective strategies should be systematically followed in order to decrease the rate of vision loss from diabetes. The goal of a retinopathy screening program is to identify patients with early stages of retinopathy. Effective treatment strategies can prevent progression to more severe stages, which can result in vision loss.
Patient education is an important component of health promotion and complications prevention.