Glaucoma Eye Drop Instillation: Impact of Education

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide, and as such has a large public health impact. The only treatment proven to slow or arrest the progression of the disease process is intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction, which relies heavily on patient cooperation. Previously, nonadherence to glaucoma medications has ranged from 24% to 59%. Barriers to medication compliance in the glaucoma patient population include health literacy, poor comprehension of disease, poor comprehension of medication regimen, and improper eye drop administration technique. The purpose of this randomized, controlled clinical trial is to assess whether an educational intervention will have a positive effect on patients' ability to properly administer eye drops. Patients randomized to the experimental group will receive the educational intervention, consisting of an instructional video demonstrating how to instill eyedrops. Patients randomized to the control group will receive an attention placebo, consisting of a video regarding healthy eating tips. Additional measures that will be obtained from all patients include a health literacy score, as measured using the REALM questionnaire, and a BMQ - specific score (Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire) using the BMQ-specific questionnaire. If the education protocol is found to positively affect eye drop administration success, as demonstrated by a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups, suggestions will be proposed for the implementation of educational programs similar to ours to improve glaucoma patient outcomes.