Through May 2006, glaucoma patients and the people who care for them can participate in a new study of glaucoma treatment compliance.  Participants can win monetary awards and free travel.

To participate online and qualify to win a prize, click here.

To download paper response forms for return via U.S. mail, click here.

To download PowerPoint Slides about the project, click here.

To download a .pdf flyer for patients, click here.

To download a .pdf flyer for physicians, click here.

To download a .pdf flyer for technicians and other professionals, click here.

Background

Glaucoma is a leading cause of preventable blindness that can be successfully treated in most cases. Yet, of new patients treated for glaucoma, studies show that most do not finish their first year still taking their topical medication on a regular basis. Indeed, rates of non-compliance to therapy suggest that this is a common cause of continued vision loss among those with glaucoma, given new evidence that lowering pressure is indeed protective against continued vision loss. Considering these figures, the majority of glaucoma patients in American are not using optimal treatment.

Project Summary

In an effort to carefully scrutinize and overcome the barriers to effective treatment of glaucoma, the American Glaucoma Society (AGS) has received an unrestricted grant from Pfizer, Inc. This significant and valuable research endeavor consists of three primary objectives:

• To identify, recognize, and disseminate innovative approaches to enhancing patient adherence to glaucoma care through patient education, management, and community outreach.
• To motivate glaucoma specialists to perform research in the area of patient education, management, and community outreach.
• To improve patient management by recognizing innovators in improving patient adherence to recommended care, and by disseminating a compendium of best practices among the world-wide ophthalmology community.

To fulfill these objectives, the AGS project will encompass three key components. The first two are under the direction of the AGS Patient Care Committee.

The first component is the solicitation of eye care professionals and patients with glaucoma to contribute useful methods and novel approaches for improving adherence to recommended treatment of glaucoma. The AGS will do so by distributing a questionnaire (online and/or in printed form) to three contributor groups: ophthalmologists (including glaucoma specialists), allied health personnel, and glaucoma patients. The questionnaire will query respondents about how to encourage patients to properly utilize recommended glaucoma treatment in addition to requesting helpful approaches and solutions for successful and consistent treatment. Responses will be evaluated by a diverse 11-member task force, and the AGS will present monetary awards for the best suggested approaches/novel methods.

The second facet of this program is the publication of research papers that have come out of this effort and a compendium of the best ideas from all sources for dissemination to all who take care of patients with glaucoma. AGS will feature the compendium on this website, and potentially on the website of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In addition, the AGS hopes to furnish specific ideas to the AAO for consideration and inclusion in the AAO's educational and patient care materials. The compendium will also be printed and made available to Pfizer and others for continuing medical education efforts.

A third component, under the direction of the AGS Research Committee, is to award a $50,000 fellowship grant for research in the area of compliance, adherence, and persistence to therapy.

Administration and Timeline

The development and pilot testing of the questionnaire occurred in 2005. The dissemination of the questionnaire will begin in January 2006. The activities of the Patient Care Improvement Project's grading committee will commence in the months after all of the responses have been compiled. The project will culminate in the generation of the compendium in the summer of 2006.  AGS will present awards, and unveil the compendium, at a special event timed to coincide with the annual meeting of the AAO in Las Vegas in November 2006.

Your Participation is Essential to the Success of this Project!

AGS recognizes the critical role that the glaucoma community (professionals and patients, alike) plays in the execution of this ambitious initiative. We will be communicating with numerous ophthalmic-related organizations and individuals throughout the duration of the endeavor and will rely heavily on your assistance to meet our objectives. Please take the time to complete a questionnaire online or in writing. We appreciate your professionalism, creativity, and expertise and are greatly indebted to you!

To participate online and qualify to win a prize, click here.

To stay abreast of news and updates surrounding this exciting project, please continue to visit this website.  Stay tuned!