Diabetic Retinopathy Screening in General Practice

Diabetic Retinopathy is a microvascular eye complication of diabetes, which can go unnoticed until permanent vision damage has occurred - in worst-case blindness. Timely retinopathy screenings reduce the risk of sight loss since the disease can be treated if detected in time. For people with type 2 diabetes, retinopathy screenings are typically performed by specialist at private ophthalmologists' practices, and individualized screening intervals based on retinopathy level and diabetes regulation are recommended. Unfortunately, 26% of people with type 2 diabetes do not follow their screening interval, and the attendance is too low compared to the national standard of minimum 90% of patients with diabetes who ought to follow the screening program. Consequently, actions must be taken to improve screening attendance in Denmark. The aim of this study is to investigate patients' acceptance of diabetic retinopathy screenings in general practice. Patients' acceptance is explored through a questionnaire developed for the study.