Objective: To improve general practitioners' knowledge and skills about diabetic retinopathy.
Setting: An upskilling program of 11 Sydney (New South Wales) GPs.
Main outcome measures: Level of competency determined by an educational assessment before and six weeks after the program.
Results: Mean scores for multichoice questions increased from 53% before the education to 84% after (p < 0.001); for a photographic examination from 44 to 53% (p = 0.08); and for clinical examination from 41 to 69% (p < 0.001). The screening specificity increased from 47 to 73%.
Conclusion: General practitioners' knowledge and skills about diabetic retinopathy improved at least short term following an intensive educational program.