Toshiko Inoue, Ruriko Ideta, Rika Mera, Kimiko Umeki, Akifumi Ueno, Taka-aki Matsui and Naoyuki Morishige*
Background: To examine the impact of instruction by a nurse in addition to the education provided by a physician to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) patients.
Design: Prospective, observer-masked, observational, hospital-based study.
Participants: Twenty MGD patients were enrolled in the study and were randomly divided into two groups: a control group that received information from a physician only and an experimental group that received additional instruction from a nurse.
Methods: An eyelid-warming device for 5 min twice a day for 1 month were performed with/without instruction by nurse at the initiation of treatment.
Main Outcome Measures: Tear film-related clinical parameters as well as subjective symptom scores.
Results: Among the clinical parameters measured, only meibum condition was improved after treatment and this improvement was significant in both control and additional instruction groups. The frequency of 8 out of 15 symptoms was significantly reduced after treatment in the additional instruction group, whereas that of only one was reduced in the control group. In addition, the severity of four symptoms was significantly reduced after treatment in the additional instruction group, whereas that of only two was reduced in the control group. The overall symptom score was also significantly improved only in the additional instruction group.
Conclusions: Patient instruction by a nurse in addition to information provided by a physician improved treatment outcome with regard to subjective symptoms in MGD patients. A team approach to medical care may thus be the best option for the treatment of such patients.
