We studied 45 primary open-angle glaucoma patients consecutively examined with the program 30-2 on the Humphrey Field Analyzer to determine factors associated with a learning effect between the first two visual field exams. The average mean defect significantly decreased 1.7 dB between exams (P less than 0.05). No difference was noted in learning based on: the time interval between tests, the area of the field tested, age, sex, race, previous perimetric experience or parameters on the initial field exam (i.e. prevalence of false positive and negative errors, central reference level and eye tested (P greater than 0.05). However, learning positively correlated to defect depth and negatively correlated to fixation losses on the initial exam in patients retested within seven months (P less than 0.05). This study suggests predicting which patients require a second baseline field exam to exclude a learning effect is difficult, except in those with glaucomatous field loss or few fixation losses and another field is planned within a half year.

Patients were more persistent with latanoprost and demonstrated lower intraocular pressure, fewer visits, and fewer medicine changes when compared to bimatoprost or beta-blocker therapy. In contrast, the beta-blocker group provided lower overall cost.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the persistency and treatment costs for latanoprost, bimatoprost, or beta-blockers in open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertensive patients. Methods: This study was a retrospective, multicenter, parallel, active-controlled comparison of patients who were prescribed with ocular hypotensive monotherapy between September 1996 and August 2002. Results: 1,182 patients were included. The Kaplan Meier life table analysis showed that latanoprost was continued longest among the groups for the first year of therapy (p ϭ 0.02). A significant difference existed between groups in the final intraocular pressure for latanoprost (17.3 Ϯ 3.9, N ϭ 357), for bimatoprost (18.0 Ϯ 3.6, N ϭ 146), and for the beta-blockers (17.9 Ϯ 3.7, N ϭ 335) (p ϭ Ͻ 0.0001). The average number of visits was statistically higher for beta-blockers (3.3), compared to latanoprost (2.9) and bimatoprost (3.1) (p ϭ 0.01). Further, the mean number of medicine changes was greater for bimatoprost (0.45) and beta-blockers (0.47) than for latanoprost (0.27) (p ϭ 0.0008). The cost of visits and medications was lowest for beta-blockers ($119.3 Ϯ $78.9) and highest for bimatoprost ($163.8 Ϯ $51.2) (p Ͻ 0.0001). Conclusions: Patients were more persistent with latanoprost and demonstrated lower intraocular pressure, fewer visits, and fewer medicine changes when compared to bimatoprost or beta-blocker therapy. In contrast, the beta-blocker group provided lower overall cost.