Educational Intervention to Adopt SLT as First-Line Glaucoma Treatment

Wills Eye

Status: Completed

Conditions: Primary Open-angle Glaucoma

Treatments: Other: Patient Educational Intervention; Other: Usual Care; Other: Ophthalmologist Educational Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03365778

IRB # 17-641E

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to develop an educational program that will help improve the patients' understanding of what laser treatment is, how it might be beneficial to them, and why it should be the first eye pressure lowering glaucoma treatment to consider before the use of glaucoma eye drops.

Full description

Glaucoma is a disease characterized by optic nerve damage, visual field defects, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and progressive vision loss. More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma and more than 150,000 are blind as a result.

Regular use of glaucoma medications can usually lower intraocular pressure (IOP), prevent disease progression, preserve vision and prevent blindness. However, many people with glaucoma do not always use their medication as directed, with about one-third to one-half of patients with glaucoma not taking their drops as often as necessary, or have difficulty putting in the drops. There are also numerous local side effects from using glaucoma eye drops including red eyes, blurry vision and dry eye symptoms. Systemic side effects from eye drops range from triggering asthma, to lethargy and depression.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has been used safely and effectively for the treatment of elevated IOP in patients with open angle glaucoma for more than 20 years. SLT may result in mild and temporary IOP elevation, but this is a small risk and rarely significant. Other side effects include blurred vison and inflammation of the cornea (front, clear part of the eye), but they are extremely rare.

The purpose of this study is to develop an educational program that will help improve the patients' understanding of what laser treatment is, how it might be beneficial to them, and why it should be considered as first glaucoma treatment before the use of glaucoma eye drops.

Enrollment: 86 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients between 40 and 90 years of age
• high-risk ocular hypertension, primary open-angle glaucoma, or pseudo-exfoliation glaucoma
• currently treated with at least one glaucoma eye drop with stable intraocular pressure

Exclusion criteria

• previous laser trabeculoplasty
• previous glaucoma surgery

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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86 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Patient Educational Intervention group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients receive educational materials regarding selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) versus topical medication (ophthalmic eye drops) to lower eye pressure.

Treatment:

Other: Patient Educational Intervention

Usual care group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Patients receive standard of care.

Treatment:

Other: Usual Care

Ophthalmologist Educational Intervention group

Other group

Description:

General ophthalmologists, ophthalmology residents, and glaucoma specialists in the Wills Eye Hospital physician contact database receive online survey and educational slide presentation regarding selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT).

Treatment:

Other: Ophthalmologist Educational Intervention