Treatment of Advanced Glaucoma Study (TAGS)

18 July 2014

A new study comparing treatments for advanced glaucoma has recently started. TAGS will compare two standard NHS treatments – medical management (eye drops) or surgery (trabeculectomy) – to find out which is better in terms of participants’ quality of life.

Participating hospitals will seek to recruit new referrals to glaucoma clinics (via GPs or optometrists) to participate. Patients will be eligible if they have advanced glaucoma in at least one of their eyes and treatment is required to lower eye pressure to prevent further visual loss. Patients with advanced glaucoma must be recruited into the study within 3 months of their diagnosis. Patients who consent to take part will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. At least 20 hospitals across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will participate in the Study.

Patients will be asked to complete questionnaires about their vision.  In addition, the questionnaires will ask about their experiences and opinions of the treatment they received. Questionnaires will be completed either in the patient’s home or at clinic, as appropriate. Participants will be followed-up for approximately two years and will complete questionnaires when they join the study and then again at approximately 1, 3, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months later. Because patients’ quality of life is the main measurement used in TAGS, the answers to these questions are the most important information collected in the study. The study will also gather clinical information about participants’ vision and eye health when they routinely visit the eye clinic.

TAGS is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the HTA, NIHR, NHS or the Department of Health.

If you would like more information about this trial please follow the link below:

https://www.tagsstudy.co.uk

1. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme funds research about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest NIHR programme and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with over 600 issues published to date. The journal’s 2011 Impact Factor (4.255) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download, free of charge, from the website. The HTA Programme is funded by the NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland, NISCHR in Wales, and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland. www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/hta
2. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Since its establishment in April 2006, the NIHR has transformed research in the NHS. It has increased the volume of applied health research for the benefit of patients and the public, driven faster translation of basic science discoveries into tangible benefits for patients and the economy, and developed and supported the people who conduct and contribute to applied health research. The NIHR plays a key role in the Government’s strategy for economic growth, attracting investment by the life-sciences industries through its world-class infrastructure for health research. Together, the NIHR people, programmes, centres of excellence and systems represent the most integrated health research system in the world. For further information, visit the NIHR website (www.nihr.ac.uk).