Glaucoma Patient Preferences for Video Education on Eye Drop Technique.

SIGNIFICANCE

Glaucoma patients express a strong need for practical instruction on instilling eye drops correctly. To maximize the benefit of a video intervention to improve eye drop technique, patients recommend that video education be provided both in the clinic setting and online.

PURPOSE

The purposes of this study were to (1) describe glaucoma patients' perspectives on how to improve an online eye drop technique video and how to disseminate it to other glaucoma patients and (2) examine how these perspectives differ across demographics.

METHODS

Glaucoma patients (N = 43) who viewed an online eye drop technique educational video as part of a randomized controlled trial were interviewed to assess their overall rating of the video on a 4-point scale, with whom they had watched the video, whether they would recommend the video to others, how the video helped them, how they would recommend improving the video, and how they would like the video to be disseminated to other glaucoma patients.

RESULTS

Patients' mean (SD) rating of the video was 3.4 (0.8), with a higher mean rating of 3.8 among African Americans (P = .02). All 43 patients said that they would recommend that others watch the video. Patients most commonly said that the video helped them learn to block the tear duct correctly, put the cap down on its side, mix the medication correctly, and close the eye after instillation. Patients preferred viewing the video in the doctor's office examination room and a website.

CONCLUSIONS

Eye drop technique videos should be disseminated in the doctor's office and online. Health systems that integrate educational videos into their everyday practice may be able to use technique videos to improve patient technique at low cost and little time burden to the provider.