Darren Knight

Glaucoma is an ocular disease that leads to the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. In the chronic version of glaucoma, lack of pain creates patients that are often unaware that they their eyesight has begun to deteriorate. They remain unaware of their condition until they suddenly lose their sight due to leaving the disease untreated. Even when glaucoma is diagnosed, a considerable number of patients suffer blindness due to treatment noncompliance. African Americans suffer from glaucoma at a higher rate then whites and noncompliance is a possible cause of this gap. The study analyzed the relationship between patient satisfaction and potential compliance with glaucoma treatment by administering surveys to African American patients over the age of forty. The survey questions focused on finding a relationship between patient satisfaction and compliance with glaucoma treatment. The study found that a large portion of the participants cited the importance of the length of treatment and provider’s experience in complying with a primary healthcare provider. Participants consistently mentioned the importance of a provider’s qualities and skill, but many noted that the price of a consultation could override other factors. Interestingly, the importance of price remained consistent amongst patients from different income ranges. These results imply that the high incidence of glaucoma induced blindness between African Americans and other races could be decreased through interventions targeting the cost of care. Eliminating or decreasing the concerns of medication costs could very likely improve compliance rates, rather then focusing solely on patient