Date: {{$ActivityAssignDate}}

Dear Dr. {{ $doctorName }},

Subject: Participation in survey “Survey to Assess Glaucoma Management Practices and Challenges Among Ophthalmologists in India”

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in world. The number of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) cases in adult population (40–80 years old) estimated to be 79.76 million in 2040.¹ Intraocular pressure (IOP) remains the only proven modifiable risk factor, which is currently treated by various classes of medications, lasers and surgical modalities. Medical therapy for glaucoma is considered a mainstay of treatment with the goal of high effectiveness, tolerability and minimal side effects.²

A great number of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma require combination therapy with several hypotensive drugs of different pharmacological groups to efficiently compensate the IOP and prevent further development of glaucoma.³ Up to 40% of patients treated with single therapy fail to reach target IOP and require two or more ocular hypotensive medications.⁴ There are several potential benefits of fixed dose combination (FDC) medications compared with using the individual components separately. These include a reduction in the total number of drops and preservative instilled per day, cost savings, improved tolerability and compliance and avoiding the washout effect resulting from rapid-sequence instillation of multiple drops.⁵

Modern day glaucoma management is complex and may require customized options for many. The factors that influence these decisions not only include scientific evidence and patient characteristics but also anecdotal evidence, personal preferences, level of training, and years of experience. There are guidelines issued by several national and international glaucoma associations which provide a broad framework for the patient management. In India, the prevalence of glaucoma is significant, yet there is a lack of uniformity in practice patterns among ophthalmologists. This survey aims to explore and compare the prevailing practice patterns, challenges, and needs in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma among ophthalmologists in India. Therefore, this cross-sectional observational survey is planned to understand the prevalent practice patterns in the diagnosis and management of glaucoma.

If you agree to participate, you will be required to respond to questions of the enclosed questionnaire. We trust you and we are partners in promoting safe and effective drug therapy. In that spirit we hope you will consent to participate in this survey. If you do, please sign and return the enclosed reply along with your visiting card for accuracy of records.