Glaucoma society seeks ideas for improving patient compliance

SAN FRANCISCO — The American Glaucoma Society is asking ophthalmologists and others to share their ideas on how to improve glaucoma patients’ compliance with recommended treatments. The group announced its new initiative recently.

“Of new patients treated for glaucoma, studies show that most do not finish their first year still taking their topical medication on a regular basis,” said Paul P. Lee, MD, of Duke University, who is spearheading the initiative for the group. “Clearly there exist significant barriers to utilization of effective treatment of glaucoma that must be overcome.”

To that end, the society is calling on all ophthalmologists to submit “practical, innovative” ideas for education and management of glaucoma patients. Dr. Lee noted that the appeal is aimed not only at glaucoma specialists, but also generalists, “with special attention to community-based ophthalmologists.”

The AGS has already sent questionnaires to ophthalmologists and will send a similar query to ophthalmic allied health personnel and to glaucoma patients themselves, according to a statement from the society.

Dr. Lee said that, because of an unrestricted grant from Pfizer to the AGS for design and implementation of the project, funds will be available to provide monetary awards to contributors with the best ideas.

The project has three principal objectives, according to the AGS: to identify, recognize and disseminate innovative approaches to enhancing patient adherence to glaucoma care through patient education, management and community outreach; to motivate glaucoma specialists to perform research in the area of patient education, management and patient outreach; and to improve patient management by recognizing those individuals who are trying to improve patient compliance.

In addition to compiling ideas gleaned from the questionnaires, the AGS will publish research papers based on the information gathered. The compendium will be available on the AGS Web site.

The AGS “hopes to furnish specific ideas to the American Academy of Ophthalmology for consideration and inclusion in the AAO’s educational and patient care materials,” Dr. Lee said.

For more information about the project, visit www.glaucomaweb.org, under “AGS Patient Care Improvement Project.”