Oct. 13, 2022 — The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has released its “Remarkable Resilience: Prescribing Contact Lenses in a Challenging Economy” report examining inflation’s effect on U.S. consumer beliefs and behaviors. Part of CLI’s See Tomorrow initiative, the in-depth report further describes the findings previewed during Vision Expo West: Patients prioritize their contact lenses with their purchasing power even in the face of economic pressures. Additionally, the report reveals several contact lens-related behaviors that may change when patients encounter personal financial challenges and advises eyecare professionals to proactively address these potential shifts.
 
The 12-page report is available for free to view online or download here.
 

 
When previewing the results ahead of the report’s official release at Vision Expo West, CLI shared that respondents ranked their contact lenses (84%) and eyeglasses (75%) as extremely or very important—more than any other category. When asked about the impact of inflationary pressures on household spending, respondents showed the least change in the contact lenses (8%) and glasses (7%) categories.
 
The full report includes more detail within every category, including which categories consumers are more likely to purchase less frequently or abandon completely before giving up contact lenses. (CLI shares that commitment to contact lenses are strong, with 94% of wearers indicating that they would make sacrifices in other areas first.)
 
“What we observed affirms the instincts of many practitioners and business leaders, i.e., that contact lenses offer significant value,” writes Stan Rogaski, CLI’s executive director, in the report’s opening letter. “Americans deeply value their eyesight, and their intended and actual spending reflects those beliefs.”
 

 
The infographics and insights spread throughout the report are from 2022 Contact Lens Institute Visionaries—ECPs sharing practical, peer-to-peer advice about interpreting the new data, making it easily shareable with colleagues and coworkers, and putting it to use to grow practice and patient success.
 
CLI will host evening webinars in mid-November to discuss additional aspects of its latest consumer research. More information will be announced in the coming weeks.
 
For more information: contactlensinstitute.org.