EVALUATION OF AN EDUCATIONAL-PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS WITH GLAUCOMA

Purpose To analyze the results of an educational program applied to gl aucoma patients; to serve as a guideline for a definitive educational program to be developed at the Glaucoma Service of the the University of Campinas. Methods Fifty glaucoma patients were given information ab out the disease and its treatment by an experienced nurse and answered the same questionnaire before and 2.7 months after the initial explan ation. The technique of eyedrop instillation was compared before and a fter the educational program. Results There was no significant improve ment concerning the knowledge of the identification of the ocular dise ase, the side effects, the meaning of glaucoma, the importance of trea tment the purpose of medications and the normal value of intraocular p ressure. There was a significant improvement in all steps of eyedrop i nstillation (p<0.01) and in knowledge regarding the importance of here dity (p<0.001) and the purpose of perimetry (p=0.033). Conclusion Alth ough a significant improvement was observed in the technique of eyedro p instillation, the authors conclude that this plan was not complete e nough for its contents fully to be understood. These findings may be s econdary to the vertical teaching-learning process, which is inappropr iate for the patient, and to the difficulty in comprehending the infor mation, which is associated,with low cultural and instruction levels, and To psycosocial factors related to their disease.