Abstract:  Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment status, compliance, quality of life and disease burden of glaucoma patients in Hunan Province. Design Questionnaire research. Participants A total of 243 glaucoma outpatients were recruited from the glaucoma clinic of Changsha Aier Eye Hospital, Hengyang Aier Eye Hospital, and Loudi Aier Eye Hospital in Hunan Province from December 25, 2023 to January 31, 2024. Methods The questionnaire from the Blue Book on Comprehensive Prevention and Treatment Management of Glaucoma was used to conduct a simple random sampling survey in the form of an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included the content of demographic information, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment management, patient adherence and quality of life, and disease burden. Main Outcome Measures Statistical description of the patient's diagnosis and treatment status, medication adherence score, quality of life score, and the proportion of visual acuity and visual field impairment. Results Totally, 85.2% of glaucoma patients were diagnosed with glaucoma in tertiary hospitals. 56.5%~57.1% of patients with late-stage visual field damage achieved their target intraocular pressure. 95.9% of glaucoma patients acquired glaucoma knowledge through face-to-face consultation with doctors during hospital visits. 79.4% of patients hoped to receive health education and 74.1% hoped to receive glaucoma screening services. 31.3% of glaucoma patients had a low medication adherence, with the possible factor of forgetting to use eye drops (89.5%). The average quality-of-life score of glaucoma patients was 58.4±9.3 (score ratio: 68.7%), and a significant difference was found inquality-of-life score of patients achieved different treatments (F=4.947, P<0.001). Among them, patients who only received laser treatment had the highest quality of life score, which was 70.2±10.6. Respectively, 72.0% and 67.5% of glaucoma patients had visual impairment and visual field damage on at least one of eyes. 27.2% of glaucoma patients had at least one blind eye, and there was significant difference in visual field damage among different types of glaucoma patients (χ2=11.099, P=0.011). Among them, patients with primary open-angle glaucoma had the highest proportion of visual field damage (78.6%). Conclusions In Hunan Province, glaucoma patients had low education level, medication compliance, and quality of life. They lacked knowledge about glaucoma and ways to acquire glaucoma knowledge. They had a high proportion of visual impairment and blindness. In order to reduce the rate of blindness caused by glaucoma, it is necessary to strengthen the management of glaucoma patients according to the characteristics of glaucoma patients in this region. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2024, 33: 329-336)

Key words: glaucoma, diagnosis and treatment, medication adherence, quality of life, disease burden