[Validation of the electronic mailing of retinographs of diabetic patients in order to detect retinopathy in primary care]. / Validación de la transmisión por correo electrónico de la retinografía de pacientes diabéticos para detectar retinopatía en atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate concordance in biomicroscopy evaluation of diabetic retinopathy degree among ophthalmologists. Validation of e-mail transmission of digital fundus photographs of type 2 diabetes patients as a method of diabetic retinopathy detection. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Urban, primary health centre, and hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Type 2 diabetic patients selected of consecutive form when going to the primary health center (n=352). MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Parallel observer-blind evaluation of degree of retinopathy through biomicroscopy performed by ophthalmologists, against digital photographic images sent by e-mail taken by the family doctors. Concordance in the biomicroscopy among ophthalmologists was previously tested. RESULTS: Retinopathy was revealed in 25.70% of the retinographs; 10.44% was mild, 12.05% moderate, and 3.21% severe. Weighted kappa was 0.876 for biomicroscopy concordance. Sensitivity in detecting retinopathy is 76.6% and specificity 95.2%; 92.7% and 99.5% for ophthalmologist-derivable retinopathy. Sensitivity was 66.7% for non-mydriatic retinograph without dilation, 76.9% with elective dilation, and 85% with the mydriatic. CONCLUSIONS: Concordance in evaluation of retinopathy degree through biomicroscopy was "very good." This allows using a single ophthalmologist's exploration as a reference model. E-mail transmission of the photograph of the back of the eye in type 2 diabetic patients as a retinopathy detection method is feasible. Regardless of the type of retinograph used, the photographs should be taken on the dilated eye, as this significantly improves sensitivity.

Validación de la transmisión por correo electrónico de la retinografía de pacientes diabéticos para detectar retinopatía en atención primaria / Validation of the electronic mailing of retinographs of diabetic patients in order to detect retinopathy in primary care

Objetivo. Evaluar la concordancia de la biomicroscopia de los pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 entre oftalmólogos, y analizar la validez de la transmisión por correo electrónico de la fotografía del fondo de ojo de pacientes diabéticos tipo 2, para detectar retinopatía diabética. Diseño. Observacional, descriptivo. Emplazamiento. Centro de salud y hospital urbanos. Participantes. Pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 seleccionados de forma consecutiva al acudir al centro de salud (n = 352). Mediciones principales. Valoración en paralelo, de forma ciega para los observadores, del grado de retinopatía mediante biomicroscopia realizada por oftalmólogos, frente a imagen fotográfica digital realizada por el médico de familia enviada por correo electrónico. Previamente se comprobó la concordancia entre oftalmólogos en la biomicroscopia. Resultados. El 25,70% de las retinografías mostraron retinopatía: el 10,44%, leve; el 12,05%, moderada, y el 3,21%, severa. El análisis de la concordancia en la biomicroscopia mostró un valor kappa ponderado de 0,876. La sensibilidad para detectar retinopatía es del 76,6% y la especificidad del 95,2%; que son del 92,7% y el 99,5%, respectivamente, para retinopatía derivable al oftalmólogo. La sensibilidad fue del 66,7% con el retinógrafo no midriático sin dilatación, del 76,9% con dilatación electiva y del 85% con el retinógrafo midriático. Conclusiones. La concordancia, mediante biomicroscopia, ha sido «muy buena» y permite utilizar la exploración de un solo oftalmólogo como patrón de referencia. Es factible la transmisión telemática de la fotografía del fondo de ojo de pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 como método para detectar retinopatía. Las fotografías deberían realizarse dilatando, independientemente del tipo de retinógrafo empleado, ya que mejora significativamente la sensibilidad

Objective. Evaluate concordance in biomicroscopy evaluation of diabetic retinopathy degree among ophthalmologists. Validation of e-mail transmission of digital fundus photographs of type 2 diabetes patients as a method of diabetic retinopathy detection. Design. Descriptive study. Setting. Urban, primary health centre, and hospital. Participants. Type 2 diabetic patients selected of consecutive form when going to the primary health center (n=352). Main measurements. Parallel observer-blind evaluation of degree of retinopathy through biomicroscopy performed by ophthalmologists, against digital photographic images sent by e-mail taken by the family doctors. Concordance in the biomicroscopy among ophthalmologists was previously tested. Results. Retinopathy was revealed in 25.70% of the retinographs; 10.44% was mild, 12.05% moderate, and 3.21% severe. Weighted kappa was 0.876 for biomicroscopy concordance. Sensitivity in detecting retinopathy is 76.6% and specificity 95.2%; 92.7% and 99.5% for ophthalmologist-derivable retinopathy. Sensitivity was 66.7% for non-mydriatic retinograph without dilation, 76.9% with elective dilation, and 85% with the mydriatic. Conclusions. Concordance in evaluation of retinopathy degree through biomicroscopy was "very good." This allows using a single ophthalmologist's exploration as a reference model. E-mail transmission of the photograph of the back of the eye in type 2 diabetic patients as a retinopathy detection method is feasible. Regardless of the type of retinograph used, the photographs should be taken on the dilated eye, as this significantly improves sensitivity