A DR screening program initiated September 2019 between one institution and its affiliated primary care and endocrinology clinics screened 2243 adult patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes without a diagnosis of DR in the previous year in the San Francisco Bay Area. For patients who screened positive for more-than-mild-DR (MTMDR), rates of follow-up were calculated under a store-and-forward human-based DR workflow (“Human Workflow”), an AI-based workflow involving IDx-DR (“AI Workflow”), and a two-step hybrid workflow (“AI–Human Hybrid Workflow”). The AI Workflow provided results within 48 hours, whereas the other workflows took up to 7 days. Patients were surveyed by phone about follow-up decisions.
Artificial Intelligence Improves Patient Follow-Up in a Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program