Impact of Digital Patient Education & Support Group in Glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the impact of digital patient education resource related to glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. Methods: We assessed the patient engagement with and response to the digital patient education resources. We compared the two clinical outcomes: before the development of this digital patient education resource in 2011 and after its introduction in 2019, the year preceding the Covid 19 pandemic. We compared the rate of need for new certification of visual impairment and any definitive glaucoma surgeries needed between these two 12-month tenures. Result: The google analytics showed a very enthusiastic acceptance of the digital patient education by the population of Worcestershire. There were very high rates of website hits, downloads and video views. This study showed a slight decline in the rate of CVI registration from average of 40.6 in 2011 to 38.3 in 2019. This study also showed a significant reduction in the numbers of trabeculectomy surgery from 92 in 2011 to 37 in 2019. The overall glaucoma surgical rates decreased from 131 in 2011 to 121 in 2019, which was despite an increased demand and early-intervention surgical procedures being developed (? Offered/available). Conclusion: There is a possible weak correlation between implementation of digital patient education and positive clinical outcomes in the reduced need for both Glaucoma surgery and the Certification of visual impairment. Literature review shows this to be the first ever study showing the impact of digital patient education on the Glaucoma surgical rates. There was a remarkable acceptance of the technology by the local population of Worcestershire despite the older age group patient-population.