The Relationship between Glaucoma Medication Adherence, Eye Drop Technique, and Visual Field Defect Severity

• Published in: Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.) Vol. 118; no. 12; pp. 2398 - 2402
• Main Authors: Sleath, Betsy, Blalock, Susan, Covert, David, Stone, Jennifer L., Skinner, Asheley Cockrell, Muir, Kelly, Robin, Alan L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.12.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Administration, Ophthalmic; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antihypertensive Agents - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diseases of visual field, optic nerve, optic chiasma and optic tracts; Female; Glaucoma - drug therapy; Glaucoma - ethnology; Glaucoma and intraocular pressure; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medication Adherence; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Ophthalmic Solutions - administration & dosage; Ophthalmology; Self Administration; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Vision Disorders - physiopathology; Visual Acuity - physiology; Visual Field Tests; Visual Fields - physiology; Eye drop; Drug; Eye disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Visual field disease; Glaucoma (eye); Visual field defect; Ophthalmology; Technique; Adhesion
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2011.05.013
• ISSN: 0161-6420; 1549-4713

The purpose of the study was to examine (1) how patient adherence and eye drop technique were associated with visual field defect severity and (2) how general glaucoma adherence self-efficacy and eye drop technique self-efficacy were related to visual field defect severity. Cross-sectional study conducted at a single private practice site. Patients using eye drops for their glaucoma. Subject adherence to glaucoma medications through Medication Events Monitoring System (MEMS) devices were measured, and eye drop instillation technique was assessed by video recording. General glaucoma medication adherence self-efficacy was measured using a 10-item scale, and eye drop technique self-efficacy was measured using a 6-item scale. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the data. Visual field defect severity. Patients who were less than 80% adherent according to the MEMS devices were significantly more likely to have worse defect severity. Patients with lower scores on the general glaucoma medication adherence self-efficacy scale also were significantly more likely to have worse defect severity. Eye drop technique and eye drop technique self-efficacy were not related significantly to visual field defect severity. Eye care providers need to assess patient adherence and to work with those patients with poor adherence to find ways to improve their ability and self-efficacy in using their glaucoma medications. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.