Glaucoma Drop Aids Part 2
Boston Medical Center
Summary
Glaucoma medications are vital to disease management and prevention of further loss of vision as over time glaucoma will lead to irreversible blindness. The average size of a glaucoma medication bottle is around 10cc and these medications when used 2-3 times daily are expected to last patients an entire month. The investigators found that at Boston Medical Center (BMC) a majority of Yawkey Eye Clinic patients are unable to deliver the drops into their eyes due to poor vision or difficulty squeezing drop bottles. These patients also often deliver more than a necessary amount leading to premature completion of the bottle. However, because the cost benefit ratio of these drop aids is unclear, they are not routinely offered to the patients. Although the efficacy of these drop aids has not been well studied, if effective, the cost of these drop aids would more than pay themselves by improving medication compliance and visual function of the patients. This study aims to determine the efficacy of the Nanodropper in the BMC Yawkey Eye Clinic patient population.
Description
A randomized, crossover study design will be used to determine the efficacy of the Nanodropper in the BMC Yawkey Eye Clinic patient population. All participants will receive the Nanodropper, but will be randomly assigned to study groups defined by the order in which they use the Nanodropper. The first group will be assigned to use the drop aid device over the first 4-6 weeks, and then no drop aid device over the next 4-6 weeks. The second group will be assigned to use no drop aid device over the first 4-6 weeks, and then the drop aid device over the next 4-6 weeks. Therefore, each participant…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Currently on the same topical ophthalmic medications for treatment of glaucoma for a minimum of two months * Patient of Boston University Eye Associates Exclusion Criteria: * Changed glaucoma medications within the past 2 months
Interventions
- DeviceNanodropper
The Nanodropper is the only FDA-listed, volume-reducing adaptor for eyedrop bottles. By twisting the Nanodropper onto a compatible bottle, the drop-size can be reduced by over 60%. Smaller drops have been shown to reduce waste, cost, and side effects.
Location
- Yawkey Eye Clinic, Boston Medical CenterBoston, Massachusetts