Adherence to treatment in patients with open-angle glaucoma and its related factors

INTRODUCTION: Lack of adherence to medical treatments typically lead to burdensome consequences such as progressive visual impairment, blindness, and disabilities. This study aimed to determine the adherence to medication in patients with open-angle glaucoma and related factors in patients referred to the Matini Ophthalmology Hospital in Kashan, Iran. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 23 July 2015 to 20 January 2016 on all patients with open-angle glaucoma referred to the Matini Ophthalmology Hospital in Kashan, Iran. A questionnaire was used to gather data about patients’ demographics and factors affecting adherence to medical treatments. The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to evaluate the adherence to glaucoma medication. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 13. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression analysis were used. RESULTS: In total, 130 patients with a mean age of 55.36 ± 15.54 were studied. Only 34.6% of patients completely adhered to glaucoma medications. The chi-square test showed that age (p=0.007), education (p=0.01), life entourage (p=0.04), place of residence (p=0.06), average monthly income (p=0.005), the interval between medical visits (p=0.007), problem in scheduling the medical visits (p<0.001), number of medications (p<0.001), lifelong using and side-effects of medications (p<0.001), answers of the physician to the patient’s questions (p<0.001), financial and traveling problems (p<0.001), lack of skill in using eye drops (p<0.001), lack of awareness of glaucoma complications and symptoms (p<0.001), forgetting, fatigue, impatience, believing in uselessness of medications, and lack of support from family (p<0.001) were associated with patients’ adherence. Logistic regression showed that 89% of variance of patients’ adherence to glaucoma medications can be predicted by seven factors: problems in traveling and scheduling medical visits, the large number and side effects of medications, impatience, forgetting, and lack of skill in using eye drops. CONCLUSION: About two-thirds of patients with open-angle glaucoma did not adhere to their own medications. Appropriate patient education and planning a patient follow-up strategy might positively affect the patients’ adherence to glaucoma medications.