By Dr Alice Le Bonniec, Behavioural Insights & Change Specialist, National Screening Service
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been awarded a Health Research Board Applied Partnership Award, in partnership with the University of Galway, for a new project to support young adults with diabetes to take part in Diabetic RetinaScreen – Ireland’s free diabetic retinal screening programme.
The 2-year project, which will start in early 2026, will be led by the University of Galway, in collaboration with our Diabetic RetinaScreen and Public Health teams.
Background to the project
In Ireland, about 6% of the population live with diabetes. People living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, an eye condition that can cause sight loss and blindness. Since 2013, Diabetic RetinaScreen offers free, regular eye screening to people living with diabetes aged 12 years and over. Participation in the programme is lower in young adults aged 18 to 25, compared to those aged 12 to 17. Eye screening is particularly important in young adults, because when diabetic retinopathy is found early, treatment is effective at reducing or preventing damage to the eyesight.
What we will do
We’ll co-design new strategies to support young adults aged 18 to 25 to take part in free diabetic eye screening. The project will combine international evidence and behaviour change theory with stakeholder expertise to develop evidence-based strategies tailored to the needs of young adults in Ireland living with diabetes.
We’ll work with researchers, people working in screening in Ireland, healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes to do this.
We’ll develop the strategies in three steps:
- Review of the scientific literature: We’ll review information from published studies about what makes it harder or easier for young people to attend eye screening.
- Interviews with young adults living with diabetes: We’ll invite young adults to share their experiences of living with diabetes and their views on eye screening.
- Two workshops: We’ll invite all the key stakeholders to take part in two workshops and work together to develop new ways to support young people to attend free eye screening. Participants will be asked to give their opinion on how we can help young adults to take part in screening, and the best way that the strategies could be delivered.
When the project is complete, we’ll use the new strategies to support young adults to take part in Diabetic RetinaScreen.