Adherence to Follow-Up and the Related Factors of Paediatric Glaucoma at a Tertiary Care Centre in Western Saudi Arabia.

Background: Glaucoma is a main cause of blindness globally. In Saudi Arabia, congenital glaucoma is believed to affect 1 in every 2500 live births. In this study, we identified the adherence and evaluated the factors associated with non-compliance (non-adherence) to recommended follow-up appointments at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, a tertiary centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: The medical records of paediatric patients diagnosed with glaucoma between 2009 and April 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic information, visit dates, scheduled follow-ups, and specific patients' glaucoma histories were all extracted from the records. Patients were categorized as adherent, non-adherent, or lost to tertiary follow-up (LTTF).

Results: Of 91 patients, 52 (57.1%) were adherent, 20 (22%) were non-adherent, and 19 (20.9%) were LTTF. Most adherent patients were Saudi (59.3% adherent, 26.5% non-adherent, 14.2% LTTF) (P = 0.02). Adherent patients were far likelier to live further away from the ophthalmology clinic (P = 0.03). The frequency of clinical encounters was statistically significantly different between adherence statuses. The non-adherent group had a higher average number of prescribed ocular medications (P = 0.03). The adherent patients had more frequent visits with elevated intraocular pressure (P = 0.02).

Conclusions: A significantly high percentage of paediatric glaucoma patients were non-adherent to follow-up visits. When determining the non-compliance risk among paediatric glaucoma patients, physicians must consider the factors contributing to adherence status, which include nationality, distance to the ophthalmology clinic, and number of prescribed ocular medications.