More than 42% of Australians living with diabetes have been referred to the KeepSight program to protect their sight, a new report shows.
The updated KeepSight report shows the growing national impact of Australia’s diabetes eye health reminder program, with more than 640,000 people now registered and millions of reminders and eye checks helping to prevent avoidable vision loss.
The second edition of the report Unveiling the value of KeepSight, authored by Deloitte Access Economics, was launched at the National Diabetes Summit at Parliament House.
The nation’s leading diabetes experts and advocates gathered at the event to highlight the growing scale and impact of diabetes.
Supported by the Parliamentary Friends Group for the Prevention of Diabetes co-chairs, Marion Scrymgour MP and Melissa McIntosh MP, the summit featured a keynote address from Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing.
Dr Mike Freelander MP, chair of the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Disability, and Senator Anne Ruston, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, also addressed attendees.
The summit was a fitting platform to highlight the latest KeepSight data and impact of the program alongside critical conversations about prevention, health system sustainability and equity of care.
KeepSight provides people living with diabetes free reminders when they are due for a routine eye check. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults with early detection and treatment the most effective way to prevent vision loss.
The program is delivered by Diabetes Australia in partnership with founding partner Specsavers, supported by the Federal Government.
Increased follow-ups
Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the milestone KeepSight report marked a step forward in protecting the sight of Australians living with diabetes.
“The latest KeepSight data reveals that participants are more likely to come back for a follow-up eye check, and they tend to return sooner,” she said. “That’s really important because 90% of vision loss is preventable, so when people get regular eye checks, they’re more likely to catch problems early.”
More than 42% of Australians living with diabetes have been referred to the program to protect their sight, Cain said.
“The scale of participation reflects the real-world impact of the initiative. Having over 640,000 people now registered with the program is a significant milestone,” she said.
“The benefits are being felt every day by people managing diabetes. This program is changing lives by supporting people with diabetes to proactively look after their eye health and prevent complications.
“We recognise the important role Specsavers has played in driving registrations from day one. Specsavers has committed to embedding diabetes eye checks into their service model and their optometrists have had a significant impact on growing the program,” she said.
Specsavers register patients daily
At the summit, Specsavers senior stakeholder and professional communications manager Duchesne Markham said the program continues to deliver measurable improvements in eye health behaviour.
“The collaboration between Specsavers and Diabetes Australia has driven strong outcomes across the sector,” Markham said.
“Specsavers has a large and united workforce of optometrists who believe in the program and register their patients to KeepSight every day. Nine out of every ten people with diabetes who sit in our testing chairs at Specsavers give consent and are registered with KeepSight.
“These results reflect an industry determined to ensure people with diabetes access the care they need.”
At the National Diabetes Summit, Specsavers provided both eye and hearing screening experiences for members of parliament and staffers. Specsavers said it was the first eye and ear combined screening in Australian Government.
