Diabetes is a multifactorial disease process, and its long-term management requires the active involvement of people with diabetes and their families, as well as a large multidisciplinary care team to ensure optimal health, quality of life, and productivity. Keeping up with new medications, emerging technology, and evolving treatment recommendations can be challenging, and the language and care processes commonly used by practitioners in one discipline may be less familiar to other diabetes care professionals.

In the realm of diabetes-related eye care, our ability to prevent the progression of diabetes-related retinal disease and thereby preserve vision has never been greater. However, far too many people with diabetes still are not receiving appropriate screening to identify eye disease early and ensure its timely treatment.

It is our hope that this compendium has provided information and guidance to improve communication and encourage collaboration between eye care professionals and other diabetes health care professionals and allow them to more effectively cooperate to reduce barriers to care and improve both the ocular and systemic health of their shared patients.

Editorial and project management services were provided by Debbie Kendall of Kendall Editorial in Richmond, VA.

Dualities of Interest

B.A.C. is a consultant for Genentech and Regeneron. S.A.R. is a speaker for Allergan, Inc., and VSP Vision Care. No other potential conflicts of interest relevant to this compendium were reported.

Author Contributions

All authors researched and wrote their respective sections. Lead author T.W.G. reviewed all content and is the guarantor of this work.

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of VSP Vision Care, Regeneron, or the American Diabetes Association. The content was developed by the authors and does not represent the policy or position of the American Diabetes Association, any of its boards or committees, or any of its journals or their editors or editorial boards.

Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0 for details.