Diabetes-related complications, such as nephropathy and retinopathy, can lead to severe health consequences, including kidney failure and blindness. Early detection of these complications through screening can reduce the associated risks, but data suggests that screening rates in Kentucky have room for improvement. Without proper screenings, diabetes-related complications can go undetected until they reach advanced, costly stages with potentially irreversible outcomes. Increasing screening rates can improve the incidence and severity of preventable kidney and eye diseases and enhance the quality of life for people with diabetes in Kentucky.
In response, the Kentucky Diabetes Prevention and Control Program within the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) and the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative (KHC) are partnering to develop an action plan to increase screening rates for kidney and eye disease among people with diabetes. The goals of the action plan are to :
- Assess Barriers: Assess and document barriers to kidney and eye disease screening for people with diabetes in Kentucky
- Identify Strategies: Identify effective strategies to increase screening rates, including health system improvements, community-based resources, or patient navigation services.
- Provide Recommendations: Offer recommendations for increasing screening rates in Kentucky.
The action plan is slated for release in June 2026. It’s development will be informed by a highly collaborative process, calling upon stakeholders across the Commonwealth to provide their input. Input will be collected through three primary sources:
- Provider and Healthcare Administrator Survey
- Key Informant Interviews
- Kentucky Task Force on Diabetes-Related Kidney and Eye Screening
Stakeholders are invited to participate in one or all of these sources.
Provider and Healthcare Administrator Survey
Healthcare providers and practice administrators are invited to complete a survey to assess the current practices in diabetes-related kidney and eye screening and identify barriers that may exist that prevent people with diabetes from being regularly screened for kidney and eye disease.
The survey can be accessed at this link and should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Multiple responses from within a single organization are allowable.
Key Informant Interviews
Key informants will be invited to participate in one-on-one interviews to further explore themes and perspectives related to current practices and barriers in diabetes-related kidney and eye screening. Interviews will be conducted in May and June 2025. Perspectives of all healthcare stakeholders are invited to participate.
Kentucky Task Force on Diabetes-Related Kidney and Eye Screening
The Kentucky Task Force on Diabetes-Related Kidney and Eye Screening will convene three times from November 2025 – January 2026. The Task Force will build off of the learnings of the survey and key informant interviews with a deliverable of developing the action plan. The Task Force Charter provides full details on the goals, structure, and participant commitments.
Contact Us to Participate
If you’re interested in contributing to this initiative, please select all ways that you’d like to participate.
