GLAUCOMA EYE DROP USE COMPLIANCE

The successful treatment of glaucoma requires patients to understand the need to use their eye drop prescriptions and to follow through consistently in using their glaucoma eye drop medication. At the Wills Eye Institute Alumni Conference there was a presentation of the results of the Glaucoma Adherence and Persistency Study in which 90% of patients reported taking eye drops daily and 10% admitted to not using drops as directed. Reasons glaucoma patients reported for not being consistent with the their glaucoma medications included simply forgetting to use their eye drops, concerns about side effects, running out of drops, not having the eye drops with them when traveling and difficulty in using the eye drops when away from home.

The study concluded that ophthalmologists can improve patient adherence by doing a better job is speaking to patients. A study showed that physicians spend an average of 6 minutes speaking with patients and 18% asked their patients open-ended questions about disease and treatment. After the physicians were themselves taught better communication skills 82% of physicians asked open-ended questions and had educational discussions with their patients. Further, before physicians were trained in better communication skills only 25% even identified that their patients were not compliant whereas after the physician communication skill training 78% detected non adherence.