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Is audible alarm useful in increasing adherence?
Author(s) -
KOTHY P,
HOLLO G
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2008.526.x
Subject(s) - travoprost , evening , medicine , alarm , physical therapy , ophthalmology , glaucoma , physics , materials science , astronomy , composite material , ocular hypertension
Purpose To investigate if objectively monitored adherence to travoprost administered once daily in the evening, improves if the alarm function of the monitoring device is activated. Methods Thirty‐nine glaucoma patients were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were topical medication with once daily, evening administered travoprost 0,004% (Travatan, Alcon, Forth Worth, Texas, USA). Adherence to travoprost was monitored with an electronic monitoring device (Travalert Dosing Aid, TDA, Alcon, Forth Worth, Texas, USA). In the initial 3‐month period no alarm function was used, but in the second 3‐month period it was activated. Patients were instructed to instill travoprost at 9 p.m. Adherence was defined with instillation of travoprost at 9 p.m. (+/‐2 hours) as recorded by the device. Non‐adherence for the study period was defined as the ratio (%) of the non‐adherent days and all study days. Results Thirty‐four participants completed both study periods. Adherence was 81.6 % in the first, and 85.3 % in the second phase. Non‐adherence was 18.4 +/‐ 18.9 % in the first period and 14.7 +/‐ 18.9 % in the second period (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p=0.059). Conclusion Though the adherence was very good already in the first phase, it improved further when the audible alarm signal became activated. The improvement, however, did not reach the statistically significant level.