Patient acceptance and attitude toward an alternative method of subconjunctival injection for the medical treatment of glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
Nonadherence to glaucoma medications may be a major cause of treatment failure. We examined the acceptance of glaucoma patients toward a possible new route of administering glaucoma medication by subconjunctival injection.


METHODS
Patients were recruited from specialist glaucoma clinics on a voluntary basis. Trained interviewers administered a 30-item questionnaire and an information sheet with details of an alternative subconjunctival injection route involving injections at 3-month intervals. Outcome measures regarding acceptance of the new procedure, social situational factors, disease factors, and treatment factors were assessed.


RESULTS
A total of 151 patients participated in this study. Of the 151 patients 112 (74.2%) were willing to have their glaucoma medication given by the new method of subconjunctival injection, 101 of 112 (90.2%) were willing to accept it at the same cost as their present medication, and 87 of 101 (86.1%) were willing to accept it even at a higher cost. These patients tended to be on a greater number of medications (P=0.006), and medicating more frequently in a day (P=0.003). Nine of 10 (90%) patients who were admitted to nonadherence were willing to accept subconjunctival injections at 3-month intervals in place of their topical medication.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study found that 74% of glaucoma patients were willing to accept an alternative form of glaucoma treatment through 3-monthly subconjunctival injections. A large proportion of patients who were admitted to nonadherence to topical medication were willing to consider this alternative method of medication. Our findings are helpful when developing patient-acceptable drug-delivery regimes, which may alleviate the need for daily medication.
Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
Rachel S
RS
Chong
Daniel H W
DH
Su
Andrew
A
Tsai
Yuzhen
Y
Jiang
Hla Myint
HM
Htoon
Ecosse L
EL
Lamoureux
Tin
T
Aung
Tina T
TT
Wong
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D005260:Female; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents