This article describes the results of an intervention study considering patient education on retinopathy, aiming to increase knowledge of retinopathy, self-care and self-efficacy. Fifty patients were randomised to either an education programme or standard follow up in the clinical setting. The patients were followed for two years. Parameters were measured at baseline, and after one and two years. Twelve patients were interviewed after one year using semi-structured focus group interviews. The analyses were grounded in the framework of Steinar Kvale and an approach based on Aaron Antonovsky′s ‘sense of coherence’. Several themes emerged. The main themes in both groups were fear, knowledge and acceptance, but there was a difference in the way in which these themes were described. The intervention group could describe how they used the knowledge in their everyday life. In contrast, the control group indicated knowledge about retinopathy but appeared not to use this knowledge in everyday life. Furthermore, the intervention group regarded prevention of retinopathy as a responsibility shared between themselves and the health professionals in relation to self-care skills, whereas the control group appeared not to take responsibility. The only theme described identically in both groups was ‘anxiety’ at the time of diagnosis. The quantitative data did not show any significant effect of the patient education. We conclude that education made a difference to the way in which the patients experienced retinopathy. The intervention group showed ‘sense of coherence’ by expressing comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. Copyright © 2011 FEND. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.