Canadian clinical practice guidelines for glaucoma management: intended to be more permissive than prescriptive

Pilot Study of Clinician-Patient Collaboration in Glaucoma

PURPOSE

This pilot study was undertaken to examine the feasibility of a larger scale trial examining the effect of interventions to improve patient-clinician collaboration. The primary outcome was the extent of clinician-patient collaboration during glaucoma consultations. The secondary outcomes were the results of the Patient Experience Questionnaire and the patients' opinion of how involved they were in decisions about their care and how keen they would be to increase this involvement.

METHODS

This is an observational study of clinician-patient communication involving 9 glaucoma clinicians and 37 patients attending a glaucoma monitoring clinic. Consultations were videotaped and later assessed for the degree of collaboration. Patients completed a validated Patient Experience Questionnaire and a questionnaire designed to collect the patients' opinion of how involved they were in decisions about their care.

RESULTS

The consultations were largely "clinician centred" with clinicians speaking 58% of the sentences and asking a mean of 8.1 questions compared to the patients 2.6. Glaucoma medications were discussed in 97% of consultations. When a treatment change was recommended in 53% of cases different options were discussed. Patients had an overall positive opinion of the consultations. Although 80% of patients indicated they were happy with how involved they were in decisions about their care 44% said they would like to be more involved, and 47% would welcome written information or information sessions on how to be more involved in decisions about their care.

CONCLUSION

Glaucoma consultations remain "clinician-centred" and, in view of the evidence of the benefits of good clinician-patient collaboration, further studies to examine interventions to improve clinician-patient collaboration may be of benefit to glaucoma patients. These interventions could target both clinicians and patients, and many patients in this study indicated they would like to be more involved in decisions about their care and would welcome support in achieving this.

Intraocular pressure control after trans-scleral intraocular lens fixation in glaucoma patients

BACKGROUND

Intraocular lens fixation surgery is associated with fluctuations in intraocular pressure. This may be significantly relevant in glaucoma patients.

OBJECTIVES

To assess short- and medium-term intraocular pressure control after trans-scleral intraocular lens fixation surgery in glaucoma patients.

METHODS

The charts of all glaucoma patients who underwent trans-scleral intraocular lens fixation surgery with at least 6 months follow-up by a single surgeon between the years 2004 and 2017 were reviewed. Primary outcomes were intraocular pressure at 1 day and 6 months after surgery. Secondary outcome measures were hypotensive medication use and the need for further intraocular pressure lowering interventions.

RESULTS

Eleven eyes of 10 patients were included in the analysis. Mean follow-up post intraocular lens fixation surgery was 54.6 months. Mean intraocular pressure before, 6 months, and last follow-up after intraocular lens fixation surgery was 15.8 ± 5.3 mmHg (range 10.6-25.3), 13.5 ± 3.8 mmHg (range 8-21, p = 0.2), and 11.8 ± 5.6 (range 6-21, p = 0.09) on a mean of 2.3 ± 1.6, 2 ± 1.6 (p = 0.23), and 1.7 ± 1.5 (p = 0.08) hypotensive medications, respectively. A pressure spike was noted in 5 of the 11 eyes on the first post-operative day (mean spike 15.2 mmHg, range 6-23). Four of 11 eyes in the study (36%) needed additional interventions to control intraocular pressure by the 6-month point. One eye required the addition of two classes of topical medications, one eye required laser trabeculoplasty, and two eyes required trabeculectomy.

CONCLUSION

Over a third of glaucomatous eyes required a change in the management of their disease in the early post-operative period. Close follow-up of patients undergoing trans-scleral intraocular lens fixation surgery is warranted.