The number and proportion of First Nations people who had an eye examination and were screened for diabetic retinopathy: Measure 2.3.1
The number of First Nations people who had eye examinations in the 12-month period who were also screened for diabetes in the previous 2 years (MBS data). First Nations people who had a diabetes test may not have been found to have diabetes. For this reason, the rate of those screened for diabetic retinopathy may be an underestimate.
Current National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines recommend a diabetic eye examination annually for First Nations people with diabetes, and at least every 2 years for non-Indigenous Australians with diabetes (Figure 19 and Figure 20).
Latest data
An estimated 31,927 First Nations people had a diabetes test in the previous 2 years, and 15,973 (50%) also had an eye examination at least once in 2023–24. Most of the screenings were performed by optometrists (15,525), with smaller numbers by ophthalmologists (1,068) and GPs (293) (Figure 19).
Figure 19: Eye examinations among those tested for diabetes (MBS data), 2023–24
Two barcharts showing number and rates for 2022-23 and 2023-24. See link to data tables at the bottom of this page for details.
Notes
- People screened for diabetes are those who had a diabetes test (made a claim for MBS item 66551) within the reference period or the year before.
- People who had an eye exam by an optometrist are those who made a claim for MBS group A10, except items 10921–10930 within the reference period. People who had an eye exam by an ophthalmologist are those who made a claim for MBS group D1 subgroup 2 within the reference period.
- Medicare data presented by Indigenous status have been adjusted for the under-identification in the Medicare Voluntary Indigenous Identifier (VII) database.
- MBS data do not cover services provided in the public health system.
- Data are based on date of service.
- A person can receive services from more than one health professional. This means, the sum of the number of patients by profession may not equal the total.
Source: AIHW analysis of Medical Benefits Schedule data.
Explore more aspects of the data in the following section. See also Figure 20.
By remoteness
In 2023–24, the proportion of First Nations people who had an eye examination was highest in Inner regional areas and Major cities (both 53%,), and then decreased with increasing remoteness (Figure 20 – remoteness).
By jurisdiction
In 2023–24, the proportion of First Nations people who had an eye examination ranged from 59% in the Australian Capital Territory to just under 36% in the Northern Territory (Figure 20 – jurisdiction).
Time trend
Age-specific proportions of those tested for diabetes who had an eye examination fluctuated between 2013–14 and 2023–24 for First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians but, overall, rose across all age groups. The greatest increase for First Nations people was in those aged 15–24 where the proportion examined rose from 21% in 2013–14 to 32% in 2023–24. For non‑Indigenous Australians, the increase in the proportion of examinations from 2013–14 to 2023–24 was similar across all age groups (Figure 20 – time trend). In 2023–24, higher proportions of non-Indigenous Australians than First Nations people were screened in all age groups, except for those aged 65 and over where slightly more First Nations people were screened.
Between 2013–14 and 2023–24, the total age-standardised proportion of First Nations people tested for diabetes who had an eye examination increased from 35% to 43%, while for non-Indigenous Australians it rose from 39% to 48% (Figure 20 – time trend).
Figure 20: Eye examinations among those tested for diabetes (MBS data): interactive data
See link to data tables following this image.
Downloadable data tables are available on Data.