Diabetic eye checks at your address
Retinal imaging and a full examination at home, in aged care or at work. Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card.
Retinal imaging and a full examination at home, in aged care or at work. Bulk billed with a valid Medicare card.
Diabetic retinopathy is damage to the small blood vessels at the back of the eye, caused by high blood glucose over time. Those vessels leak, swell, or close off.
Diabetes also affects the lens, the ocular surface and the optic nerve, so a diabetic eye check covers more than the retina.
Sudden vision loss, a shower of new floaters, or a curtain across the vision needs same day care. Call rather than book online.
Diabetic retinopathy causes no symptoms until it is advanced, or until it affects the macula. By the time vision has changed, the damage that caused it has usually been developing for some time.
Treatment for diabetic eye disease works best before vision has dropped, which is why screening runs to a schedule.
These intervals follow the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists screening and referral pathway for diabetic retinopathy.1 Screening can be done by a suitably trained general practitioner, an optometrist or an ophthalmologist.
| Who | How often |
|---|---|
| Most people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes | At least every 2 years, where no retinopathy is found and no risk factors are present |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people | Yearly |
| Diabetes of more than 15 years duration | Yearly |
| Suboptimal glycaemic control | Yearly |
| Complications of systemic disease, including kidney disease | Yearly |
| Women with diabetes who become pregnant | First trimester, then repeated during pregnancy depending on what is found at baseline |
| Anyone with retinopathy already found | At the interval set by the optometrist or ophthalmologist managing it |
A comprehensive initial consultation is bulk billed once every 12 months for patients aged 65 and over, and once every 36 months for patients under 65.2 Where diabetes or a diagnosed eye condition makes more frequent review clinically appropriate, it can be done.
A photograph of the retina and macula, kept on file. Small changes show up when the images are compared visit to visit.
The retina examined for microaneurysms, haemorrhages, exudates and new vessels, dilated where a fuller view of the periphery is needed.
The macula gives you reading vision and face recognition. Swelling here is the most common reason diabetes affects vision.
Blood glucose swings change the focusing power of the lens, so a prescription taken during a period of poor control can be wrong.
Diabetes raises the risk of glaucoma, so eye pressure and the optic nerve are assessed at the same visit.
Cataract develops earlier in diabetes. The cornea and the ocular surface are also affected, and dry eye is common.
Images go on file as a baseline and you are recalled at the interval that matches your risk. Your general practitioner receives the report.
Documented and photographed, with a shorter review interval. Most mild retinopathy needs watching, and better glycaemic and blood pressure control.
Referred to ophthalmology. Treatment for diabetic macular oedema works best before vision has dropped.
Proliferative retinopathy is referred urgently. This is the stage that bleeds and causes sudden vision loss.
Referrals are written on the day and sent directly.
Residents with diabetes are one of the groups we ask homes to flag before a clinic day, because the retina needs looking at whether or not vision has changed. Imaging is kept on file so change can be compared between visits.
The report names the retinal findings and the recommended review interval, so it can be filed against the resident's clinical notes and picked up at the next comprehensive assessment.3
Testing happens in the clinic vehicle at your address, at your workplace, or at your village or aged care home. If dilating drops are used your vision is blurred for a few hours, which matters less when you are already at home.
No referral is needed. You can book an optometrist directly, and your general practitioner receives a written report either way.
Ali Selman, Bachelor of Vision Science, Master of Optometry. AHPRA registered optometrist. Last reviewed 23 August 2026.
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