An Educational Intervention to Increase Adoption of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty as First-Line Treatment for Glaucoma
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Primary Open-angle Glaucoma
- Sponsor
- Wills Eye
- Enrollment
- 86
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Completion of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 6 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to develop an educational program that will help improve the patients' understanding of what laser treatment is, how it might be beneficial to them, and why it should be the first eye pressure lowering glaucoma treatment to consider before the use of glaucoma eye drops.
Detailed Description
Glaucoma is a disease characterized by optic nerve damage, visual field defects, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and progressive vision loss. More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma and more than 150,000 are blind as a result. Regular use of glaucoma medications can usually lower intraocular pressure (IOP), prevent disease progression, preserve vision and prevent blindness. However, many people with glaucoma do not always use their medication as directed, with about one-third to one-half of patients with glaucoma not taking their drops as often as necessary, or have difficulty putting in the drops. There are also numerous local side effects from using glaucoma eye drops including red eyes, blurry vision and dry eye symptoms. Systemic side effects from eye drops range from triggering asthma, to lethargy and depression. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has been used safely and effectively for the treatment of elevated IOP in patients with open angle glaucoma for more than 20 years. SLT may result in mild and temporary IOP elevation, but this is a small risk and rarely significant. Other side effects include blurred vison and inflammation of the cornea (front, clear part of the eye), but they are extremely rare. The purpose of this study is to develop an educational program that will help improve the patients' understanding of what laser treatment is, how it might be beneficial to them, and why it should be considered as first glaucoma treatment before the use of glaucoma eye drops.
Investigators
L. Jay Katz MD
Principal Investigator
Wills Eye
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •patients between 40 and 90 years of age
- •high-risk ocular hypertension, primary open-angle glaucoma, or pseudo-exfoliation glaucoma
- •currently treated with at least one glaucoma eye drop with stable intraocular pressure
Exclusion Criteria
- •previous laser trabeculoplasty
- •previous glaucoma surgery
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Completion of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
Time Frame: 1 hour
Percentage of patients who elect the Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT), as treatment for lowering eye pressure, compared between a group receiving SLT Educational Intervention and a Usual Care group. Follow-up eye examinations will be screened for a 6-month period to assess number of completed SLTs.
Measure Educational Effects of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT)
Time Frame: 1 hour
Attitudes were assessed in the Patient Educational Intervention group before and immediately following intervention to determine how receptive they were regarding Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) as a therapy to lowering eye pressure as compared to the more common therapy of daily eye drops.
Secondary Outcomes
- Measure Educational Effects of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) Among Ophthalmologists(30 minutes)