July 31, 2024 — CooperVision published a new report in its Consumer Insights series, examining the beliefs and behaviors between contact lens (CL) wearers and eyecare professionals. The report is a review of six previous surveys, combining responses from more than 45,000 consumers and 900 ECPs in 11 countries.

The evaluation highlighted communication gaps between ECPs and patients. The data suggests that small changes in patient care approaches can improve the overall experience and trust. CooperVision recommends the AIR method:

• Ask patients about any concerns with their eyes.
• Inform patients about all vision correction options.
• Recommend the healthiest products for patients' eyes, regardless of cost.

The full report is available online here.

The findings show that patients are generally not well informed about the latest advances in eye care and are often reluctant to initiate discussions about vision correction options. They rely on ECPs to be proactive and informed about the latest eye care advancements, such as new contact lens materials, lenses for digital device use, expanded prescription ranges, multifocal lenses, one-day lenses, and occasional wear options.

Some standout stats include the following:

• While 26% of contact lens wearers had concerns or questions about digital device use, only 14% reported discussing these concerns with their ECP.
• Nearly 90% said that contact lenses have improved their quality of life.
• Eighty-one percent of dual wearers felt that having both forms of vision correction provided them the best of both worlds.

“We believe our latest report provides an unvarnished look at the most common issues hindering eyecare practices from maximizing their success with contact lenses,” says Pamela Jackson, senior director of global communications & digital marketing at CooperVision.