Specialty: Ophthalmology
Age group: Adult
Immediately contact the ophthalmology registrar to arrange an urgent ophthalmology assessment for:
- Sudden loss of vision
Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services
- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR)
- Assessment of severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy threatening vision
- Vitreous haemorrhage in a person with diabetes.
Information to be included in the referral
Information that must be provided
- Comprehensive eye and vision assessment usually performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, with refraction and dilated retinal examination, for both eyes performed in the last 3 months.
Provide if available
- Onset, severity and duration symptoms
- Type of diabetes and duration of disease
- Any previous eye treatments e.g. retinal laser, surgery, intravitreal injections
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT) results
- Recent HbA1c results
- Fasting lipid results
- Blood pressure readings
- If the person is pregnant
- If the person identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
Additional comments
The Summary and referral information lists the information that should be included in a referral request.
People experiencing disadvantage or other barriers to accessing eyecare services may be eligible to receive services through the Victorian Eyecare Service.
Where appropriate and available, the referral may be directed to an alternative specialist clinic or service.
Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for
- Eye screening in patients with diabetes
- Review of diabetic retinopathy (including during pregnancy).
Updated