Impact of diabetes on eye care service needs: the National Indigenous Eye Health Survey

Background To assess the proportion of Australian Indigenous adults who require eye care services (separately among those with and without diabetes) and determine implications for eye care service planning. Design The National Indigenous Eye Health Survey (NIEHS) was a population-based study of 30 randomly selected geographical areas. Participants The NIEHS included 1189 Indigenous adults aged 40–80 years. Methods A standardized eye examination was performed. Main Outcome Measure The number requiring eye care services by diabetes status. Results Those with diabetes were older (median 53 years) than those without diabetes (median age 50 years), P