Feeling Through the Patient's Eyes: Delivering the Diagnosis of Glaucoma as a Therapeutic Intervention

Glaucoma is a chronic, progressive optic neuropathy; however, receiving the diagnosis represents more than a clinical event. For many patients, it is a psychological turning point associated with fear of blindness, loss of independence, and becoming a burden, regardless of disease stage. Psychological distress, health beliefs, communication, and treatment adherence are closely interconnected in glaucoma care, although the specific effect of the diagnostic conversation has not yet been prospectively established. In this Perspective article, we propose that delivering a glaucoma diagnosis should be approached as a therapeutic intervention. Adapting structured communication strategies such as the SPIKES protocol to glaucoma may support patient understanding, emotional processing, trust, and long-term engagement. The framework is applied to glaucoma-specific challenges, including asymptomatic disease, interpretation of optical coherence tomography and visual field findings, chronic topical therapy, and lifelong follow-up. It is presented as an evidence-informed clinical approach rather than a validated substitute for treatment. Recognizing the emotional and social dimensions of glaucoma offers a practical opportunity to strengthen patient-centered care in routine ophthalmic practice, while prospective studies are needed to evaluate its effect on distress, adherence, follow-up, and clinical outcomes.