Social factors influencing glaucoma treatment persistence
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Social factors influencing glaucoma treatment persistence in the Northern Ireland population
IRAS ID
201381
Contact name
David Wright
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Glaucoma is one of the most common preventable forms of blindness both globally and in the UK. It occurs when raised pressure within the eye causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve. Routine eye examinations are the primary means of early detection through disclosure of raised intraocular pressures, even though no symptoms may be present. Progression of glaucoma towards serious sight loss can be slowed considerably by a treatment regime of daily eye drops which reduce intraocular pressures.
However, persistence with treatment over extended periods is poor; a recent large study in the US indicated that only 60% of new patients had continued treatment over a 12 month period and only 10% had no interruptions in treatment during the entire period. Poor adherence to and persistence with glaucoma medication has been associated with a range of factors related to the patient, healthcare provider, type of medication and environment but existing studies of treatment persistence have focused primarily on the influences of medication type or frequency of interactions with healthcare providers.
We aim to investigate the influence of patient characteristics and especially social context (family structure, deprivation etc.) on glaucoma treatment persistence. We will link a detailed set of contextual information at the individual, family and area levels drawn from the 2011 Census with records of filled prescriptions drawn from the Northern Ireland Enhanced Prescribing Database. Identifying factors associated with low glaucoma treatment persistence is an initial step towards designing interventions to increase persistence in high risk groups.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
16/SS/0067
Date of REC Opinion
4 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion