Lived Experience of Patients Living with Glaucoma: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. There are limited qualitative study focusing on patients' experience of glaucoma. The aim of the study was to explore the lived experiences of patients living with glaucoma. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted involving eight patients from January 2024 to June 2024 at glaucoma department of an eye hospital after approval from the institutional review committee (Reference number: BEH-IRC/093/024), using in-depth interview. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with selected participants until data saturation was achieved. The interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Patients receiving glaucoma treatment for more than five years and willing to participate were included in the study. Results: Out of the eight participants, seven were male with mean age of 43.12±12.86 years. Based on the interviews, seven main themes were identified. These include experiences and ideas about the moment they first noticed the condition, their emotional response after being diagnosed, a sense of relief after receiving accurate information, how they manage the disease, their sources of information, changes in their work life, and the involvement of family members in attending regular glaucoma checkups. Conclusions: This study explored the experiences of patients living with glaucoma. Findings showed that the patients with early diagnosis, proper education with counseling, proper treatment and regular follow up preserved their visual function.