The DIAGNOSE-Diabetic (DIAGNOSE-DR) Retinopathy Pilot study collected data on over 120 participants between April and August, 2024 at the Eye Care Center (ECC), Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. The data collection was overseen by the Director of the ECC, Consultant Eye Surgeon, Professor Madhuwanthi Dissanayake. This pilot study is a critical step to assess the methods that will be used in the main DIAGNOSE-DR project. 

The DIAGNOSE-DR Pilot Study is part of a broader collaboration involving the Sri Lanka Health and Ageing Study (SLHAS) Consortium and the University College London (UCL), supported by Velux Stiftung. This partnership aims to enhance the research capabilities and improve health outcomes related to diabetic retinopathy in Sri Lanka. DIAGNOSE-DR is a multi-centre project that will study the feasibility of the use of AI-assisted retinal imaging cameras by non-specialist healthcare staff to screen people with diabetes for diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionise diabetic retinopathy screening in Sri Lanka, providing timely and effective interventions to prevent blindness. The DIAGNOSE-DR project will also provide national estimates of the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, a preventable cause of poor vision in people with diabetes. It will also produce a “risk score” to identify which people with diabetes may be at risk of diabetic retinopathy, so that screening can be arranged for these individuals.

Take a look at what we did as we follow a participant through the clinic.