Abstract
Purpose :
To determine whether digital media’s role in improving patient education, compliance, and treatment adherence can be enhanced with additional physician instruction.
Methods :
The research was conducted at EyeCare Consultants of New Jersey’s location in Woodland Park, NJ. Two ophthalmologists surveyed 100 at-risk, primarily English-speaking glaucoma patients that were separated into two groups: one that was only shown a four-video sequence meant to provide a comprehensive education on glaucoma and its care plan (V) and another that was shown the video sequence supplemented by a standard explanation about at-home care delivered by a physician (VE). In the follow-up visit, each patient was asked about and monitored for comprehension and treatment adherence. Specifically, the ophthalmologists delineated between patients’ (1) understanding of glaucoma and its treatment and (2) compliance with treatment plans.
Results :
The results of the physicians’ questioning during the follow-up visits of all patients showed that 66% of V patients and 82% of VE patients reported improved comprehension of glaucoma and its treatment. The difference between the two groups was even greater with respect to compliance with at-home treatment plans, where 60% of V patients showed treatment adherence compared to 88% of VE patients.
Conclusions :
Substantially more of the patient group that received supplemental instructions from the ophthalmologists showed both comprehension of glaucoma and treatment adherence compared to the group that was only shown the CheckedUp modules. As such, it was concluded that digital media in addition to interpersonal instruction by a practitioner is more effective than digital media alone as a means of patient education at the point of care. It should be noted, however, that all subjects in this study were native or primarily English speaking and all modules were in English, so there is still work to be done before these methods can be applied to a broader, more inclusive patient population.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.