Individual risk based screening for diabetic retinopathy: WS E

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Introducing personalised risk based intervals in screening for diabetic retinopathy: development, implementation and assessment of safety, cost-effectiveness and patient experience. Workstream E: Randomised trial comparing standard and test screening intervals protocols

• IRAS ID

  139138

• Contact name

  Simon Harding

• Contact email

  s.p.harding@liverpool.ac.uk

• Research summary

  Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the commonest cause of visual loss in adults of working age. The NHS currently provides annual eye screening for all people with diabetes (PWD) over the age of 12, so that sight threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) can be diagnosed and timely treatment can be given. Evidence to support annual screening is limited. Previous research by us and others has shown that some PWD have lower risks of developing STDR compared to others. This suggests that an individual risk based screening interval may be more cost effective than current annual screening, and low risk PWD might be screened less often than once per year, while higher risk groups might benefit from screening more often.
  The aim of our five year research programme is to develop and evaluate a personalised risk based screening protocol for DR based on outcomes of importance to patients. We believe that the interval can be lengthened for the majority of PWD. However the safety and acceptability of this approach has not been tested.
  This application is for ethical approval for the third phase of our programme of research (Workstream E)in which we will undertake a randomised controlled trial comparing usual care (annual screening for diabetic retinopathy for all patient regardless of risk) and personalised risk based screening intervals (6 monthly, 12 monthly or 2 yearly based on individual risk). We will assess the safety, cost-effectiveness and patient experience in both arms of the trial

• REC name

  North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/NW/0034

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 Mar 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion