How can I effectively educate my patients about the importance of regular eye examinations in the management of their diabetes?

To effectively educate patients about the importance of regular eye examinations in the management of their diabetes, you should focus on the following key points:

• Explain the purpose and benefits of screening: Inform patients that the NHS diabetic eye screening programme aims to reduce the risk of sight loss by enabling the early detection and treatment of sight-threatening retinopathy ²,³,⁴,⁵. Emphasise that the screening service is effective at identifying problems early so that they can be treated ⁶.
• Encourage consistent attendance: Actively encourage adults to attend their eye screening appointments ⁶. Explain the reasons for screening and its proven success to ensure that attendance is not reduced by a lack of knowledge or fear of the outcome ²,³.
• Connect eye health to overall diabetes management: Discuss with patients how good long-term management of their diabetes, including maintaining optimal HbA1c and blood pressure levels, can have significant long-term benefits for their vision ¹. Explain that lowering these results can reduce the risk of their eye condition progressing to more severe forms like proliferative diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular oedema ¹.
• Outline screening frequency: Inform patients that the NHS diabetic eye screening is generally offered once a year to anyone with diabetes aged 12 years or over ²,³. For adults with type 2 diabetes, screening is offered at diagnosis and then at least annually, or every 2 years for those at low risk (no identified diabetic retinopathy on two successive screening tests) ⁴,⁵.