Group-based patient education delivered by nurses to meet a clinical standard for glaucoma information provision: the...

Globally, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. However, many patients with glaucoma do not understand their disease which reportedly impacts on their ability to manage their condition successfully. The aim of this feasibility study was to undertake research to inform a future randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of group-based education for patients to improve adherence to glaucoma eyedrops.

Key objectives were to understand current provision of information during routine nurse-led glaucoma consultations, to investigate if it is possible to deliver patient information in line with a clinical standard by training nurses to deliver group-based education in multiple hospital sites and to explore the acceptability of group-based education to nurses and patients compared with usual information provision in consultations. This study employed quantitative and qualitative research methods situated in a sequential design across three hospitals in England and Wales. Current provision of information given to 112 patients with glaucoma across the three hospitals was observed and compared to that recommended in a clinical standard. Then, six nurses were trained to deliver group-based education. Following which, the level of information was assessed again in line with the clinical standard as the group-based education programme was delivered in the three hospitals to 16 patients in total. All nurses and six patients were interviewed to explore experiences of the group-based education sessions.

The main area of information provided during routine nurse-led consultations concerned the management of glaucoma and that least covered was about prognosis of the disease and information about support services. Nurses were trained to implement group-based education for patients. Information was provided more often by the nurses about all the items of the clinical standard when delivering group based education. However, patients' motivation to attend were negatively impacted mainly by delays in delivering the education for the third phase and because the majority were established patients. Nurses and patients who participated found it useful and comprehensive.

This feasibility study demonstrates that the proposed intervention for the randomised controlled trial, the group-based education, goes beyond current information provision, is in line with that articulated by a clinical standard and is implementable across several sites. This bodes well for a future randomised trial, but the following needs to be taken into account to ensure success: independent implementation of the research, training and delivery at each site, timely provision of the patient education, inclusion of new patients, and consistently delivered nurse training.

International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial number, ISRCTN91188805.