Improving diabEtic RetinOpathy screening aTtendancE in non-attenderS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving diabetic retinopathy screening attendance in non-attenders aged ≥30 years: mixed methods study
IRAS ID
286651
Contact name
Roxanne Crosby-Nwaobi
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
CROR1010, Sponsors reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 29 days
Research summary
People with diabetes may develop severe vision loss because of the damaging effects of the disease on small blood vessels at the back of the eye (diabetic retinopathy). In the UK, everyone with diabetes aged 12 years and over is offered annual screening, consisting of taking photographs of the back of the eye (retina) to look for early signs of diabetic retinopathy that might need treatment. Treatment of sight-threatening retinopathy with lasers or injections can avoid vision loss, so it is important that people with diabetes regularly attend their screening appointments. However, across the UK, regular attendance for screening varies. This can have major consequences for identifying sight-threatening disease in good time. There are also financial consequences to the NHS, as the costs of missed appointments is high.
Previous research shows that certain groups are more likely to miss their annual appointment. For example, attendance may be lower in those living in deprived areas or among certain ethnic groups. I plan to invite people with diabetes to tell us what stops or would encourage them attend screening. We will use detailed one-to-one interviews (by MS Teams or phone) to record the views of people with diabetes who go or do not go to their screening appointment. I will also interview healthcare professionals(HCPs), asking for their views about how systems could be changed to improve
attendance.I will work with a group of people with diabetes, who will help me design questions that feel relevant and easy to answer. The findings will tell us how best to organise the screening programme and to develop specific advice to help change the behaviour of those who miss their screening appointments. I also plan to test one of the interventions in a group of people who do not attend their screening appointment and HCPs.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0117
Date of REC Opinion
30 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion