LIVED EXPERIENCES OF GLAUCOMA PATIENTS AND GLAUCOMA SECONDARY PREVENTION IN NIGERIA: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH

Abstract Due to its destructive and sneaky character, glaucoma can rapidly become complicated without anybody noticing. High patient loads and a shortage of healthcare staff may make the current patient education strategies employed in the majority of hospitals unsustainable because they mostly rely on direct communication with healthcare providers. Therefore, there is a need to assess the live experiences of the patients in order to provide them with the best therapeutic health care and counselling. This study assessed the secondary prevention of glaucoma among patients attending eye clinic at Federal Medical Center (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. This study adopted qualitative research design. The population was 40 glaucoma patients in FMC Abeokuta. Data were collected in eight focus group discussions, and were thematically analysed. Four themes emerged from the analysis: Knowledge of glaucoma, Lived experiences of the glaucoma patients, Health seeking patterns, and Preventive measures. In conclusion, there are insights into the significant life burden that glaucoma patients endure and the factors that impact their ability to manage their health. Misconceptions about the disease and inadequate medication administration methods highlighted inadequate counseling. It is recommended that community-level education on the secondary prevention of glaucoma should be given equal weight to support dietary changes, environmental factors that contribute to emergence of glaucoma.