With thanks to community support, patients at Sydney Eye Hospital are receiving vital education about their prescribed eyedrop therapies. It’s all about collaborative care, with patients gaining greater understanding about the importance of correctly administering medicines at home.
The case for funding
Medications for eye conditions mostly come in the form of eyedrops. In order for the treatment to be successful, the drops must reach the patient’s eyes at the dosage and time prescribed.
Despite the development of effective modern therapies, a major challenge still remains; patients aren’t always compliant or consistent with administering their eyedrops at home.
This is not a dilemma unique to patients of Sydney Eye Hospital. An international research study estimated that between 23% - 60% of glaucoma patients are reported to be non-compliant.
The reasons behind these stats are multifaceted and include low health literacy, a lack of understanding of drug regimens or not fully comprehending just how important the treatment is. Naturally, these issues are compounded for vulnerable people in the community.
Taking therapies exactly as the prescribing practitioner recommends decreases the chance of complications arising and gives the greatest chance of overall improvement and quality of life.
Donor impact
The Sydney Eyedrop Project includes three core initiatives to ensure patients receive the very best of eye care.
- The Sydney Eyedrop chart. A simple visual aid for every patient on discharge or at the end of a consultation. Their treatment program is clearly mapped out with bold graphics with the dosage and frequency of each medication prescribed.
- The Sydney Eyedrop app. A vision-friendly application developed in multiple languages for smart devices including user-friendly aids to promote patient adherence to their ophthalmic eye medication therapy. Functionality includes, how-to graphics and videos, calendars and alarms.
- The Sydney Eyedrop campaign. An official launch and promotion of the initiative drives awareness in the community through a hospital-wide campaign engaging all staff.
“Based on feedback from our generous donors, programs that build on improving patient outcomes are a priority. That’s why funding the Sydney Eyedrop Program was a no-brainer. The answer to excellence in patient care is collaborative. Patients have the benefit of receiving state-of-the-art treatment while at Sydney Eye Hospital, but when they go home, treatment is in their hands. This program ensures they have the tools they need.” – Linda Fagan, Chief Executive Officer, Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation
