Emerging perspectives on glaucoma: Highlights oil a roundtable discussion

PURPOSE: To present emerging perspectives on open-angle glaucoma related to patient compliance, current drug therapy, and treatment options. METHODS: Roundtable discussion. RESULTS: The panel discussion identified the following issues about patient compliance: 1 It is a common problem in clinical practice and is often und erappreciated by physicians. 2. It is difficult for clinicians to detect. 3 . There are several risk factors that increase the probability of noncompli ance. 4. Compliance can be improved through education, communication, impro vement of the doctor-patient relationship, compliance aids, and simplifying the treatment regimen. CONCLUSION: Patients' compliance with the therapeutic tic regimen for open- angle glaucoma is very important to the eventual outcome of their disease t reatment. Physicians can improve their patients' compliance by a few simple , cost-effective interventions in the clinical setting. When considering di fferent agents as first-line therapies, once-a-day dosing would be optimal for enhancing compliance. (C) 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights rese rved.).