Glaucoma research poster wins College competition

Judging took place at this year’s College conference, Optometry Tomorrow.

Her poster was entitled Barriers and Enablers to managing glaucoma medication adherence: An interview study with UK specialist Eye Care Professionals. It described how she and her research team explored factors that influence how practitioners identify and manage patient non-adherence in the long-term treatment of glaucoma. 

There can be many reasons why patients find it difficult to keep to a treatment plan. They may not fully understand the disease and the purpose of the treatment. They may face challenges in administering eyedrops, or encounter difficulties in obtaining medication. 

Supporting patients with medication adherence will therefore require many approaches, so the impact of this research could be sight-saving for many patients.

Deborah’s research will feed into the development of new methods of patient - and clinician - support, reducing the sight loss that results from non-adherence to sight-saving medications. 

The postgraduate post was funded by The College of Optometrists, and Deborah describes applying for it as:

“Probably the best decision that I’ve made.”

Now in the final months of her doctoral research, she recently spent four weeks in India at the L V Prasad Eye Institute, ranked eighth among the world's top eye research institutions, conducting an extension of her study. She hopes to take up a post-doctoral research position next year.

When asked whether she regretted not going into medicine, Deborah had this to say:

“If you had asked me that twenty or thirty years ago, I might have said ‘Yes’. Now though, I’d say ‘No’.  With the benefit of maturity, I can be philosophical, and I believe everything happens for a reason. Had I gone into medicine, I wouldn’t have had such a varied career. There are as many, if not more opportunities within the world of optometry, and I can be flexible. I can still do clinical work while exploring research. It has definitely worked out for the best.” 

Deborah still lives in Yorkshire, and in her spare time enjoys outdoor pursuits in the beautiful West Yorkshire countryside, along with CrossFit and yoga. Her philosophy of life is to try anything once, and when asked what advice she would give to a mature clinician thinking of trying research, she said:

“When an opportunity presents itself, go for it. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain. There are no limits to what you can learn, and the skills can be transferable to your career - and life. Age is by no means a barrier.”

Deborah feels that having years of experience in clinical practice has been an asset throughout her PhD, as she has been able to envisage the applications of the research in everyday practice. 

She plans to continue researching in the field of glaucoma, and in developing tools and support for glaucoma patient adherence, while maintaining a foothold in clinical practice. 

A skilled science communicator, she also wants to build this into her future career - supporting patients, carers and other healthcare stakeholders through the provision of relatable and understandable academic information. 

A very worthy winner of this year’s College of Optometrists Early Career Poster Competition, we wish her the best of luck.