With or Without Compliance Aids: A Patient-Reported Outcomes Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
With or Without Compliance Aids: A Patient-Reported Outcomes Study
IRAS ID
357794
Contact name
Rana Khalil
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
Ophthalmic drugs are most commonly delivered in the form of eye drops. Despite
advances in drug development, poor drop technique and medication
non-adherence are usually the causes of treatment failure. Contributing factors include educational, social and physical barriers. Perfect drop administration is defined as the ability to instil a single drop on the first attempt, without touching the eye or lids. Recent studies suggest significant variability in good technique, even between individuals who are properly educated on drop use.It is well recognised that patients with any form of visual impairment struggle with drop application, due to difficulty centring the bottle over the eye, accidentally touching the eye, too much blinking, and reluctance to admit difficulties to medical professionals. Physical barriers include difficulty holding or squeezing the bottle.
To date, only one study has directly compared the safety and efficacy of compliance aids (Autodrop® and Opticare®) to regular bottle use. In Scotland, some of these devices are available free of charge on prescription, although options are limited, and they do not fit all bottles. A more versatile recent product, EziDrops® (EziDrops Ltd, Watford, United Kingdom), fits all standard bottles with a nozzle and prevents involuntary blinking during drop delivery. Although it is not available on prescription, it is the cheapest aid to purchase privately (RRP £7.99) and has the potential to address the aforementioned problems. If successful, this may improve patient experience of drop delivery, and promote treatment adherence. We propose the first prospective patient-reported outcomes study comparing the user friendliness of the EziDrops® device with traditional eye drop bottles. The primary outcome measures will include subjective evaluation of drop technique, patient-reported confidence level and satisfaction with administration with and without the aid, and personal preference to either method using Likert scales.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
25/WS/0110
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion