A multiphase national study on patient glaucoma care priorities from the perspectives of patients and clinicians in Croatia

Background/AimsThe goal of glaucoma care is to preserve vision and quality of life This study aimed to develop, and rank patient-centered priorities for glaucoma care in Croatia and compare them with the perspectives of ophthalmologists.MethodsA five-phase, Delphi-based national study was conducted involving patients of the Croatian National Glaucoma Referral Center and Croatian ophthalmologists. An initial 20-item questionnaire was completed by 75 patients to identify patient priorities in glaucoma care. The most frequent responses were synthesized into a final 12 patient-centered priority statements, which patients and clinicians ranked independently. Rankings were compared overall and across prespecified patient and clinician subgroups.ResultsThe 20-item questionnaire informed a final 12-item survey completed by 130 patients and 97 ophthalmologists. Highest-ranking items across stakeholders were impaired quality of life and fear of losing sight or independence; patient associations ranked lowest. Clinicians emphasized reducing topical therapy burden and side-effects, whereas patients prioritized innovative and curative treatments (including vision restoration), faster, simpler diagnostics, and better communication with clinicians. Subgroup analyses showed stable patterns across clinician groups; among patients, later disease stage shifted focus toward disease control, longer treatment duration increased preference for innovation, and urban-rural differences were minimal.ConclusionThis study provides a ranked, stakeholder-informed set of glaucoma-care priorities for Croatia. Patient perspectives centered on preventing sight loss, preserving independence, and reducing treatment burden, while highlighting unmet needs in innovation, diagnostics, and communication. These findings complement ongoing European Glaucoma Society initiatives and may inform future Europe-wide strategies in patient-centered glaucoma care.