Medication Compliance in the Paediatric Uveitis Population Reported by the Patients and Parents

Little is known about eye drop regime adherence in the paediatric population. In particular, no previous research has investigated this in the paediatric uveitis population, a group who can require doses up to six times daily, and at frequencies that change month to month. The aim of the study is to quantify the range of adherence to eye drop medication, and to investigate some of the reasons for non-compliance in a child specific study. By learning more about compliance, this will help create treatments that are better suited to children. The study will recruit 50 children receiving eye drop treatment. After an interval of 1 week or more the children and their parents will be asked to complete a questionnaire about the frequency of the drops prescribed, and the frequency that they have used over the last interval. It will also ask questions about difficulties encountered administering the drops. Changes in eye drop bottle weight will be measured during the interval and the result compared. The information gathered from the questionnaires will be used to compare reports of adherence between the parent and child, the child's age and the bottle weight. The reasons reported for difficulties with adherence will also be reported. This is a preliminary investigatory study to identify whether an issue with medication non-adherence exists. The findings will be used to tailor further research into this area.