A Qualitative Study of Factors Affecting Medication Adherence in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma

From a cultural perspective, this study explored the facilitators and barriers to medication adherence in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in Nanjing, aiming to provide evidence for targeted intervention strategies.

A qualitative study with in-depth semi-structured interviews was adopted. Between January and April 2025, 14 eligible OAG patients were recruited from the Ophthalmology Department of a Grade A tertiary hospital in Nanjing using purposive sampling. The interview outline was revised based on preliminary interviews and expert opinions. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed via Colaizzi's 7-step method, with rigor ensured by reflective notes, data saturation verification, and independent analysis by two researchers.

We found that among the 14 patients, 7 had high adherence, 4 had moderate adherence, and 3 had low adherence. The facilitators included good disease awareness, positive medication beliefs, and social support from healthcare providers, family members, and peers; the barriers were insufficient health literacy, poor perceived therapeutic benefits, and lack of patience among medical staff during diagnosis and treatment.

Medication adherence in Nanjing OAG patients is influenced by multiple factors. Strengthening individualized education, optimizing treatment regimens, and establishing a multidimensional social support system can improve patients' long-term adherence and clinical outcomes. These findings provide references for similar urban populations, and multicenter studies with larger samples are needed to enhance generalizability.