Introduction Post
Hi, my name is Colin Kwong. I am a senior at BASIS Phoenix and my project is entitled “The Impact of a Patient’s Life on Their Compliance to the Treatment Plan”. My interest in this topic was sparked about four years ago when I began to shadow my dad at his office. During the process, I learned about specific retinal diseases such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). My interest in becoming a retina specialist grew as I observed my dad interact with hundreds of patients, many of whom feared losing their vision. With my passion for retina being my driving force, I want to discover more about AMD and learn how to help more patients with AMD through researching my senior project.
There are two types of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. The first type is known as Dry AMD. The second type is referred to as Wet AMD. In the former there is a buildup of waste products in the eye, between the macula and the retina. This occurrence creates pressure on the retina, distorting a person’s vision. In the latter, the rapid formation of blood vessels and their subsequent leakage cause swelling, bleeding, and scarring in the eye which leads to more vision loss. AMD often begins to form in the eyes of most adults once they reach the age of 50.
Throughout this project I will be using survey-gathered data in order to research what the burdens are on a patient needing to be treated for diseases like Age Related Macular Degeneration. With this project I will be able to work alongside actual retinal specialists, such as my advisor Dr. Welch, so that I can discover better methods to raise a patient’s ability to comply with their treatment plan. With the survey, which leans more to learning how physically coming into the office for treatments can be a major burden on patients and their families, I plan to find ways to make patients more compliant with their treatment plans.