An objective evaluation of eyedrop instillation in patients with glaucoma.
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.
Stone
Jennifer L
JL
Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, 6115 Falls Rd, Third Floor, Baltimore, MD 21209-2226, USA.
Robin
Alan L
AL
Novack
Gary D
GD
Covert
David W
DW
Cagle
Gerald D
GD
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
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions