Educational Intervention to Adopt SLT as First-Line Glaucoma Treatment

Glaucoma is a disease characterized by optic nerve damage, visual field defects, elevated
intraocular pressure (IOP) and progressive vision loss. More than 3 million Americans have
glaucoma and more than 150,000 are blind as a result.

Regular use of glaucoma medications can usually lower IOP, prevent disease progression,
preserve vision and prevent blindness. However, many people with glaucoma do not always use
their medication, with about one-third to one-half of patients with glaucoma not taking their
drops as often as necessary, or have difficulty putting in the drops. There are also numerous
local side effects from using glaucoma eye drops including red eyes, blurry vision and dry
eye symptoms. Systemic side effects from eye drops range from triggering asthma, to lethargy
and depression.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has been used safely and effectively for the treatment
of elevated IOP in patients with open angle glaucoma for more than 20 years. SLT may result
in mild and temporary IOP elevation, but this is a small risk and rarely significant. Other
side effects include blurred vison and inflammation of the cornea (front, clear part of the
eye), but they are extremely rare.

The purpose of this study is to develop an educational program that will help improve the
patients' understanding of what laser treatment is, how it might be beneficial to them, and
why it should be considered as first glaucoma treatment before the use of glaucoma eye drops.

Inclusion Criteria:

- patients between 40 and 90 years of age

- high-risk ocular hypertension, primary open-angle glaucoma, or pseudo-exfoliation
glaucoma

- currently treated with at least one glaucoma eye drop with stable intraocular pressure

Exclusion Criteria:

- previous laser trabeculoplasty

- previous glaucoma surgery