The effectiveness of multidisciplinary protocolised interventions to reduce non-adherence rates (ADHERE) in patients with chronic macula diseases receiving intravitreal injections: A randomised controlled trial

Vision loss from macular diseases can have a big impact on everyday life, making it harder for people to stay independent and maintain their quality of life. While eye injections are the gold standard treatment—and can significantly improve vision for many patients, especially with consistent treatment over two years—sticking to long-term treatment plans can be challenging. 

In fact, between 30–95% of patients struggle with adherence, which can reduce the benefits of treatment and increase the risk of permanent vision loss. There are many reasons why patients may miss or delay their injections. These range from anxiety about treatment and dissatisfaction with vision, to practical challenges like cost, travel, and access to appointments. Addressing these barriers is key to improving outcomes—but until now, there has been limited evidence on how best to do this in a structured, personalised way.

A new study led by Associate Professor Anna Tan at the Singapore National Eye Centre is aiming to change that. The team is running a randomised controlled trial to test a novel, tailored intervention that connects patients with targeted support services – such as education programmes, low vision care, occupational therapy, or medical social support – using quality of life responses from RetCAT and MacCAT.

As Prof Tan puts it, “By using innovative tools like RetCAT and MacCAT, we can turn patient-reported outcomes into action—matching patients with the right support at the right time to improve adherence and outcomes.” 

The hope is that this approach will not only improve patient outcomes, but also offer a practical, scalable, and cost-effective model for future care.