SAN FRANCISCO—The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) has issued new Guidelines for Diabetic Eye Care. “The new ICO Guidelines for Eye Care are intended to educate and support ophthalmologists worldwide, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of eyecare for patients with diabetes,” said Hugh Taylor, chair of the ICO task force on diabetic retinopathy.

Representing a technical consensus of diabetic eyecare guidelines collected from around the world, the guidelines offer treatment recommendations for those with diabetic retinopathy and other ocular complications of diabetes. They also provide recommendations for screening and evaluation for potentially blinding eye problems affecting people with diabetes. The guidelines also demonstrate the need for ophthalmologists to work with diabetologists, primary care providers and others in the context of available clinical equipment, trained personnel and resources.

The guidelines provide three levels of care that apply to settings with high, medium or low available resources. Designed to be adapted as needed for local use, the guidelines will be updated on an ongoing basis. Comments are welcome at info@icoph.org.