The association between perceived cause of glaucoma and illness perceptions

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Psychology

Background:

• Perceived disease causation impacts treatment outcomes.
• Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) lacks comprehensive assessment of perceived cause accuracy.
• Understanding patient beliefs is crucial for managing chronic conditions like POAG.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of patients' perceived causes of POAG.
• To explore associations between perceived cause accuracy, illness perceptions, medication adherence, and quality of life (QoL) in POAG patients.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) to assess illness perceptions.
• Classified perceived causes of POAG as accurate or inaccurate based on established risk factors.
• Employed electronic monitoring for medication adherence and the Glaucoma Quality of Life questionnaire for QoL.

Main Results:

• A high proportion of patients (78.4%-86.6%) accurately identified the cause of their POAG.
• Accurate perceived cause correlated with longer perceived illness duration and lower perceived understanding of POAG.
• No significant differences in medication adherence or QoL were found between accuracy groups.

Conclusions:

• Perceived cause accuracy in POAG is linked to specific illness perceptions, particularly regarding disease duration and patient knowledge.
• Further research should investigate the relationship between perceived disease cause and other dimensions of illness perception.