July 29, 2021 — Following a free virtual event for eyecare professionals through its See Tomorrow campaign, the Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has shared its new consumer research on changes to U.S. adults’ trust in information sources, spending habits, and plans for the future. 
“There’s no doubt that the patient walking into your office today is not the same person as before the pandemic. That opens doors to having new conversations, adjusting care to match shifting lifestyles, and making recommendations aligned with where people see themselves heading,” says CLI executive director Stan Rogaski. “That’s why we have launched the See Tomorrow initiative, encouraging the eyecare community and consumers alike to think about how vision and contact lenses play sizable roles in fulfilling their hopes for the future.”

CLI’s research, conducted via two studies during late June and early July, revealed that 41% of U.S. adults are thinking more about their overall health than in the past (25% specific to vision). Nearly 1 in 2 people want their health care professional to ask about and discuss recent life changes. 

In addition, the research found that 31% of people trust their health care professional even more than they did early last year. 

Nearly 90% of respondents shared that their eye sight and eye health were important in the pursuit of a promising future (tying with mobility as the highest-ranked health factor). 

For additional facts and figures and peer-to-peer infographics on how ECPs can encourage conversations about contact lens wear, engage patients in person, digitally to covert trust into action, and more, visit seetomorrownow.com.

The data was presented to attendees via livestream on July 22, as human behavior expert Colette Carlson interpreted how ECPs can use the research to simultaneously improve patient care and grow business. Access the recording here. 

“One thing that has not changed during the pandemic is that your success is in direct proportion to your ability to connect with patients. It’s personal and emotional, and it’s also getting harder with distractions competing for people’s attention,” says Carlson during the broadcast, which drew attendees from the U.S., Canada, and overseas. “Asking simple questions to find out what your patients do and don’t know already about contact lenses can help provide clarity, allowing more effective conversations. For instance, you might say ‘there’s new research that shows 7 out of 10 adults want their health care professional to tell them about products that improve their quality of life. Are you one of those individuals?’”

Eyecare Business continued the conversation with Carlson following the event:

EB: What, in your opinion, is one of the biggest or the biggest, unmet patient need(s) right now?
Carlson: Truly identifying what they need, want, or value when it comes to their eye care and vision. I think it’s too easy for a patient to show up and even have great intentions to engage in a conversation with a practitioner, but due to time or how it flows—they forget to ask the questions, and all of a sudden they’re being exited out the door, looking at what was prescribed to them, and they never even felt like they had that real conversation. 
EB: You spok about the need to connect with patients while they’re in-practice—listening to and serving them, and that individuals give others about seven to nine seconds to decide if they trust someone. Eyecare Business magazine’s research has shown that 60% of ECPs share that face masks are still required for both staff and patients. How can ECPs overcome the barrier of connecting via things like facial expressions with masks in play?
Carlson: The term is called ‘smize’—it’s really smiling with your eyes. People are very aware and they can tell the difference between when you’re just smiling with your mouth versus when they’re genuinely smiling with their eyes. I think that with masks, it’s even more important to make sure you’re taking the time to smile through your mask. I’ve gone so far as when I’m in the grocery store checking out at the end, I’ll say, ‘I just want you to know I’m smiling at you.’ So, I think sometimes just making light and being human helps in that. 

Stay tuned for more from Carlson in an upcoming issue of EB. 

The CLI will continue its See Tomorrow initiative with a six-week consumer phase with digital marketing, outreach to mainstream media, and a sweepstakes with daily prizes.