Preliminary survey of educational support for patients prescribed ocular hypotensive therapy

to establish the impact of educational support on patients' knowledge of glaucoma and adherence, in preparation for an intervention study.

structured observation encapsulated the educational support provided during clinical consultations and patient interviews captured the depth of glaucoma knowledge, problems associated with glaucoma therapy, and adherence issues.

one hundred and thirty-eight patients completed the study. Education was didactic in nature, limited for many patients and inconsistent across clinics. Patients showed generally poor knowledge of glaucoma with a median score of 6 (range 0-16). A significant association was found between educational support and knowledge for newly prescribed patients (Kendall's tau=0.30, P=0.003), but no association was found for follow-up patients (Kendall's tau=0.11, P=0.174). Only five (6%) patients admitted to a doctor that they did not adhere to their drop regimen, yet 75 (94%) reported at interview that they missed drops.

although important, knowledge alone may not sufficiently improve adherence: a patient-centred approach based on ongoing support according to need may provide a more effective solution for this patient group.