Page 61 - Demo

Supporting you 61Deborah brings 16 years of experience as an optometrist in hospitals and local high street stores. During her career, she saw first-hand the difficulties patients face in using their eye drops and the challenges eyecare professionals encounter when providing support. So, when she had a chance to do a PhD and research how technology might help, she jumped at it.%u201cOne of the main reasons for disease progression and sight loss in glaucoma is poor treatment adherence. We need to develop evidence-based strategies to support patients in using their eye drops correctly and reduce their risk of losing sight,%u201d Deborah explained.Treatment adherence in glaucoma means using eye drops right every time.Understanding the challengesDeborah%u2019s first task was to understand why people find it hard to use eye drops. She reviewed studies and research papers, interviewed a diverse group of people with glaucoma and talked to eyecare professionals. Her findings revealed several barriers including: %u2022 A lack of understanding about glaucoma and its treatment%u2022 Practical difficulties in administering eye drops%u2022 Challenges in accessing prescribed medicationTime constraints during appointments often prevent eyecare professionals from providing adequate information about the disease and explaining why treatment matters.%u201cIt was a tremendous honour to receive this awardImage courtesy of Deborah Bott