A Qualitative Study of Factors Affecting Medication Adherence in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma

Objective: From a cultural perspective, this study explored the facilitators and barriers to medication adherence in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in Nanjing, aiming to provide evidence for targeted intervention strategies. Participants and Methods: A qualitative study with in-depth semi-structured interviews was adopted. Between January and April 2025, 14 eligible OAG patients were recruited from the Ophthalmology Department of a Grade A tertiary hospital in Nanjing using purposive sampling. The interview outline was revised based on preliminary interviews and expert opinions. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews and analyzed via Colaizzi’s 7-step method, with rigor ensured by reflective notes, data saturation verification, and independent analysis by two researchers. Results: We found that among the 14 patients, 7 had high adherence, 4 had moderate adherence, and 3 had low adherence. The facilitators included good disease awareness, positive medication beliefs, and social support from healthcare providers, family members, and peers; the barriers were insufficient health literacy, poor perceived therapeutic benefits, and lack of patience among medical staff during diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion: Medication adherence in Nanjing OAG patients is influenced by multiple factors. Strengthening individualized education, optimizing treatment regimens, and establishing a multidimensional social support system can improve patients’ long-term adherence and clinical outcomes. These findings provide references for similar urban populations, and multicenter studies with larger samples are needed to enhance generalizability. Keywords: open-angle glaucoma, medication adherence, influencing factors, qualitative study