Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40235053›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of nursing practice2025

Integrating Nursing-Teleophthalmology Improves Diabetic Retinopathy Screening in Primary Healthcare, Reducing Unnecessary Referrals to Specialist Healthcare.

Jacira Xavier de Carvalho, Fernando K Malerbi, Silvia Ferreira Bortoto, Mozania Reis de Matos, Cristiane das Graças Dias Cavalcante, Elenilda Almeida Silva Andrade, Gabriela Bonfim Vieira, Márcia Silva Queiroz

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of nursing practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jacira Xavier de CarvalhoPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Medicina, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, Brazil.
Fernando K MalerbiDepartamento de Oftalmologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Silvia Ferreira BortotoPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Medicina, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, Brazil.
Mozania Reis de MatosUnidade Básica de Saúde Dra. Ilza Weltman Hutzler, São Paulo, Brazil.
Cristiane das Graças Dias CavalcanteUnidade Básica de Saúde Dra. Ilza Weltman Hutzler, São Paulo, Brazil.
Elenilda Almeida Silva AndradeUnidade Básica de Saúde Dra. Ilza Weltman Hutzler, São Paulo, Brazil.
Gabriela Bonfim VieiraUnidade Básica de Saúde Dra. Ilza Weltman Hutzler, São Paulo, Brazil.
Márcia Silva QueirozPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Medicina, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5113-6299

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThis work aimed to evaluate the use of teleophthalmology by a primary healthcare nursing team for the diagnosis and referral for diabetic retinopathy to specialized healthcare in relation to numbers referred for specialized healthcare.

methodsIn this quantitative, cross-sectional service evaluation study, participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus underwent a fundoscopy examination between February and June 2020. Using a portable retinal camera attached to a smartphone, nurses acquired fundus images that were stored on a cloud platform, enabling remote reading by a retinal specialist. The study was conducted at a primary healthcare urban centre on the outskirts of São Paulo, Brazil.

resultsThe study enrolled 779 participants, of whom 150 were identified as having diabetic retinopathy present; in another 434, evidence of diabetic retinopathy was absent, and 195 individuals (25%) were classified as having ungradable images. In total, 345 participants were referred for specialized appraisal, 150 of whom due to evidence of diabetic retinopathy and for another 195 participants owing to ungradable images. Thus, more than half of the imaged participants (56%) were not eligible for referral to specialist healthcare and remained treated in primary care.

conclusionsNursing-teleophthalmology integration reduced specialized healthcare referral numbers by more than half. This approach contributed to better triage with a more robust evaluation for diabetic retinopathy diagnostic suspicion, reducing unnecessary referral.

Indexed as

Diabetic RetinopathyMass ScreeningOphthalmologyPrimary Health CareReferral and ConsultationTelemedicineAdultAgedBrazilCross-Sectional StudiesDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleHumansMaleMiddle Ageddiabetic retinopathynursingportable fundus cameraprimary healthcareteleophthalmologytype 2 diabetes mellitus

Identifiers

PMID40235053
PMCPMC12000632

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.