Estudio del cribado y desarrollo de un sistema de ayuda a las decisiones clínicas en la retinopatía diabética

Identifier:  TDX:2580

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2580

Authors:  de la Riva Fernández, Sofía

Abstract:
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most usual morbidities associated to diabetes mellitus (DM). Its appropriate control requires the implementation of expensive screening programs. This paper reports a prospective population-based study of a total of 15 396 Caucasian patients with DM, who represent 86.53% of the total patients with DM in our health care areas, were studied over an 8-year follow-up period (2007-2014). All patients were screened with a mean follow-up of 3.18 ±1.11 times for each patient over the 8 years. An increase in the incidence of DR and diabetic macular oedema (DMO) was observed, especially in the younger patients aged between 31 and 70 years. This is linked to bad metabolic control of DM. Our results suggest a greater number of ocular complications in the near future, if these current findings are not addressed. Furthermore, our results reveal an increased costs in DR since the new treatments with anti-VEGF for DMO. The periodicity of screening controls recommended in patients with DM is 1 year in DM2, and after five years of diagnosis in DM1 patients, according to the recommendations of different scientific societies. However, with the recommended periodicity, only a screening rate estimated at 30% per year. Screening for diabetic retinopathy every 2.5 years is cost-effective in our results, but should be adjusted to a patient's personal risk factors. Thus, we have build a classifier which may determine, with sensitivity and especifity levels over 80%, whether a diabetic person is likely to develop retinopathy. The use of this model in a decision support tool may help doctors to determine the best screening periodicity for each person, so that an appropriate care is provided and human, material and economic resources are more efficiently employed.