Eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2024: interactive data

The number and proportion of First Nations people who were screened for diabetes and had retinal laser treatment: Measure 3.7.2

The diabetic retinopathy treatment rate, expressed as the number of First Nations people who had a retinal laser procedure or an intra-vitreal injection who had also had a diabetes test as a proportion of those who had a diabetes test. First Nations people who had a diabetes test may not have been found to have diabetes. For this reason, the rate of those treated for diabetic retinopathy may be an underestimate.

The timely treatment of diabetic retinopathy can prevent vision loss. Treatment generally involves injections into the eye or laser therapy (Figure 45 and Figure 46).

Latest data

In 2022–23, there were 511 First Nations people screened for diabetes who underwent treatment for diabetic retinopathy. This was 1.8% of those screened for diabetes. The age-standardised proportion of those treated was slightly lower for First Nations people (1.3%) than for non-Indigenous Australians (1.5%) (Figure 45). 

Figure 45: Treated for diabetic retinopathy among those tested for diabetes, 2022–23

Notes

1. People screened for diabetic retinopathy are those who had a diabetes test (made a claim for Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) item 66551) within the reference period or the year before, who also had an eye exam by an optometrist or ophthalmologist within the reference period.
2. 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.
3. Medicare data presented by Indigenous status have been adjusted for the under-identification in the Medicare Voluntary Indigenous Identifier (VII) database.
4. MBS data do not cover services provided in the public health system.
5. Data are based on date of service.

Source: AIHW analysis of Medical Benefits Schedule data.

By remoteness

In 2022–23, the proportion of First Nations people screened for diabetes who received treatment for diabetic retinopathy was highest in Major cities (2.1%), followed by Inner regional and Outer regional areas (both 1.9%). The rate was lowest in Remote areas (0.5%) (Figure 46 – remoteness).

By jurisdiction

In 2022–23, the proportion of First Nations people screened for diabetes who received treatment for diabetic retinopathy ranged from 0.3% in the Northern Territory to 2.6% in New South Wales (Figure 46 – jurisdiction). 

By age and sex

In 2022–23, the number and proportion of First Nations males and females treated for diabetic retinopathy increased steadily with age, to a peak of 3.0% (118 males) and 2.7% (122 females) in those aged 65 and over. Across all age groups a higher proportion of males than females underwent treatment (Figure 46 – population groups). 

Time trend

Between 2013–14 and 2022–23, the estimated proportion of First Nations people screened for diabetes who underwent treatment rose from 1.6% to 1.8% (Figure 46 – time trend). The number screened fluctuated, but overall decreased from 32,785 to 28,762 over this same period.

Figure 46: Treated for diabetic retinopathy among those tested for diabetes: interactive data