title: An objective evaluation of eyedrop instillation in patients with glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the performance of patients with ocular hypertension and glaucoma who are experienced in the instillation of topical ocular hypotensive medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective, open-label study at a single private practice site. We enrolled 139 patients with a diagnosis of glaucoma or ocular hypertension who used 1 or more topical ocular hypotensive medications for at least 6 months and who instilled their own medications. Patients were questioned regarding their use of topical ocular hypotensive medications, and we used a video recording to evaluate patient performance of eyedrop instillation with 2 bottle designs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients reported relatively good performance on eyedrop instillation. One hundred twenty-nine of 139 patients (92.8%) reported no problem putting in their eyedrops, and 86 of 139 (61.9%) believed that they never missed their eye when administering the drops. The proportions of patients who were able to instill a single drop into the eye without touching the bottle to the eye were 14 of 64 (21.9%) with a 15-mL bottle and 36 of 117 (30.8%) with a 2.5-mL bottle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under a single direct observation, patients experienced in the use of topical ocular hypotensive agents performed relatively poorly when instilling a single eyedrop into the eye without touching the bottle tip to the eye or the ocular adnexae.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00522600.
authors.affiliation: Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, 6115 Falls Rd, Third Floor, Baltimore, MD 21209-2226, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Novack
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Covert
authors.forename: Gerald D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Cagle
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004349:Drug Packaging; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions