Patient education and dosage self-efficacy were critical elements in maintaining glaucoma topical medication adherence, and patients determine disease care as a collaborative effort with their clinician. Glaucoma affected almost 3 million Americans. Medication adherence in the patient population had been estimated to be as low as 20%; yet, there were significant gaps in the researcher’s understanding of the behavior in people with glaucoma. An electronic survey with validated concepts linked to topical medication use and an in-person interview was used to research the factors influencing and solutions to medication adherence issues in individuals with glaucoma. Patients’ eligibility was confirmed when they arrived for a routine appointment at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, where they were asked to consent to participate in the survey. The responses were recorded on a tablet and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The main focus was on instrument correlations with the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale score, correlations and the totaled score for every single questionnaire and item were calculated. Multiple members of the research team reviewed thematically recorded interviews. According to survey results of persons with glaucoma, self-efficacy, forgetfulness, worry of adverse effects, and dosage competence were all linked to self-reported medication adherence. Even though the majority of the participants had glaucoma for several years, there were gaps in their knowledge of the disease. In addition, 3 major themes emerged from patient interviews on glaucoma treatment: glaucoma care as a shared duty; the relevance of patient education; and unique adherence enablers and barriers. Patients’ medication-taking self-efficacy, disease-related education, and engagement with their provider might have all benefited from glaucoma medication adherence initiatives.
