Magister Public Health - MPH / Untreated and unmonitored diabetic retinopathy (DR) can lead to vision loss. This may have many negative implications on society. Currently, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the factors that influence compliance behaviour to treatment among patients diagnosed with DR in South Africa’s public healthcare system. The current study sought to fill this research gap and explore patient-, institution-, treatment-, and COVID-19- related factors associated with compliance behaviour among patients living with diabetes that have been referred for suspected vision-threatening DR in the Northern/Tygerberg sub-structure (NTSS) of Cape Town, South Africa. Methodology: A qualitative research approach was used. The study population included 19 years and older South Africans living with diabetes who were screened and referred for vision-threatening retinopathy within the last 18 months at public primary healthcare facilities in the NTSS.

Bakgrund: Diabetes Mellitus är en sjukdom med potentiellt allvarliga konsekvenser som drabbar ett ökande antal människor runt om i världen. En av de ögonkomplikationer som kan drabba diabetiker är diabetesretinopati. Regelbunden ögonbottenscreening kan avslöja förändringar i ögonbotten innan de ger symtom eller synhotande skador som kan vara irreversibla. Tidig diagnos och behandling minskar risken för synnedsättning och blindhet, trots detta uteblir många diabetiker från planderad ögonbottenscreening.          Syfte: Syftet var att belysa erfarenheter som påverkar följsamheten vid ögonbottenscreening hos patienter med diabetes.                                                  Metod: En litteraturöversikt med kvalitativa studier utfördes.                  Resultat: Översikten resulterade i fyra huvudteman; information,ekonomiska aspekter, personliga erfarenheter och erfarenhet vid ögonbottenscreening samt i elva underteman. De viktigaste faktorerna som framkom av studien var bristande information, ekonomi, transportproblematik samt besvär av pupillvidgande ögondroppar.                Slutsats: Denna studie har identifierat faktorer och erfarenheter som påverkar följsamheten till ögonbottenscreening vilket kan ge möjlighet till en bättre förståelse för patienternas behov och till ett förbättrat samarbete mellan olika vårdinstanser. / Background: Diabetes Mellitus is a common disease with potentially serious con­sequences that affects an increasing number of people worldwide. One of the comp­lications that can affect the eye of a patient with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy. Regular retinal screening can reveal early signs of diabetic retinopathy before any irreversible sight threatening retinal complications have developed. Early diagnosis and treatment decrease the risk for visual impairment and blindness, despite this fact many patients do not attend this examination.                                                                          Aim: The aim was to illuminate experiences that affects compliance to retinal screening among patients with diabetes. Method: A literature review including qualitative studies was conducted. Results: The results from the review showed four main themes; information, economic aspects, personal experiences and experience from retinal screening as well as eleven subthemes. The main subjects that emerged were lack of information, economy, transportation problems and inconvenience of mydriatic eye drops. Conclusion: This literature review has identified factors and experiences that affects compliance to retinal screening. This can provide an opportunity for a better under­standing of patients’ needs and for improved collaboration between healthcare institutions

A non-experimental quantitative, descriptive and contextual study which sought to examine the level of awareness about Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), and how aware female diabetic patients were about retinal screening as a preventative measure to eye complications and blindness was conducted. The objective of the study was to explore and describe the variables related to the awareness level of female diabetic patients about Diabetic Retinopathy and diabetic retinal screening. A convenient sample of 149 respondents was obtained. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), 13.0 computer software program. Results evidenced a good level of awareness about DR. Recommendations based on the findings were made for consideration in clinical practice, education and research. / Health Studies / M.P.H.