AIM:Toassesstheawarenessofeyecomplicationsandtheprevalenceofretinopathy,inthefirstvisittoeyeclinic,amongtype2diabeticpatientsattendingatertiarymedicalcentreinKualaLumpur,Malaysia.METHODS:Aninvestigator-administeredquestionnairewasgivento137patientswithdiabetesundergoingfirsttimeeyescreeningintheeyeclinic.Thiswasfollowedbyadetailedfundusexaminationbyaseniorophthalmologisttoassessforpresenceofretinopathy.RESULTS:Almost86%ofrespondentswereawareofdiabeticeyecomplications,especiallyinpatientswhohadachievedtertiaryeducationallevel(96.3%).Themajorityofthepatients(78.8%)werereferredbytheirphysiciansandonly20.4%cameontheirowninitiative.Manyofthepatients(43.8%)didnotknowhowfrequenttheyshouldgoforaneyecheck-upand72.3%didnotknowwhattreatmentswereavailable.Lackofunderstandingondiabeticeyediseases(68.6%)wasthemainbarrierformostpatientsfornotcomingforeyescreeningearlier.Despiteahighlevelofawareness,only21.9%hadrecordedHbA1clevelof<6.5%while31.4%wereundertheerroneousassumptionofhavingagoodbloodsugarcontrol.Atotalof29.2%haddiabeticretinopathyintheirfirstvisiteyetesting.CONCLUSION:Inthepresentstudy,29.2%oftype2diabeticpatientshadretinopathyintheirfirsttimeeyetesting.Althoughtheawarenessofdiabeticeyecomplicationswashighamongfirsttimeeyescreeningpatients,theappropriateeyecare-seekingbehaviorwascomparativelylessandshouldberectifiedtopreventtheriseofthissightthreateningeyedisease.
