According to a study, 42% of new contact lens wearers stop wearing contact lenses within the first three months.1. This is largely due to the difficulty new wearers have in adapting to contact lenses. Vânia Figueiredo, Professional Affairs Director of Alcon, Europe Vision Care, in an interview with ÓpticaPro, mentions the main reasons new users stop using contact lenses and gives some tips to eye care professionals and patients to reduce this abandonment.
It is estimated that 42% of people who stop wearing contact lenses do so within the first three months of wearing them1. Why does this happen and what are the reasons that lead to this?
There are several studies and a great quantity of data that talks about contact lens abandonment that draw the same conclusions. Obviously, in the first three months, the patient is living a new experience. A contact lens is something different, a foreign body in the eye, for which an adaptation period is needed. It’s a new routine, the patient has to put the lens in, take it out and clean it (if it’s not a daily disposable), they have to feel comfortable during the time it’s being worn and the lens has to improve their vision. If during these early stages these conditions are not met, or if any of them are missed completely, the patient will feel that wearing contact lenses is not worthwhile and will give up wearing them. Therefore, the three main reasons why people stop wearing contact lenses in the first few months are:
Handling problems: users have difficulties in handling, causing difficulties in inserting or removing them;
Reduced Quality of Vision and Discomfort: new wearers feel that the contact lens is not giving them adequate visual quality, or as good as they expected during the day and experience some discomfort during wear;
Lack of Support from Professionals: wearers do not receive regular support and information during the initial period in order to establish a routine with their new contact lenses once they start wearing them.
This third point is very important. When a new contact lens wearer comes to an optician they are given a lot of attention. A consultation is made, the contact lens that is believed to be the most suitable for the patient is ordered, the fitting is carried out, various instructions are given… the professional educates the patient. However, after the patient leaves the optician’s office, this connection is more vague and therein lies one of the problems for contact lens abandonment. Professionals should maintain communication with the new contact lenses wearer and provide as much follow-up as possible so that the new wearer understands that he/she is not alone in this new experience, that he/she can ask questions and that the adaptation process is relatively simple.
In your opinion what can be done to reduce contact lens abandonment?
Adapting to contact lenses is a vital process. Assessing the ocular surface and how the lens interacts with it is the first step. However, we can’t ignore the fact that this adaptation will have a direct impact on the patient’s daily life, so it’s not enough to consider only the interaction of the lens with the surface. Assess the subjective sensations of the patient in terms of handling, comfort and quality of vision, using specific questionnaires for this purpose, as well as the conditions in which they will use them.
I also believe that it is very important for professionals to keep up-to-date in terms of training and in terms of the new products that laboratories are launching. It is undoubtedly an area that is constantly innovating, with large amounts of research and new product launches, hence the importance of professionals being up-to-date and really understanding what new technologies contribute.
Training and updating professionals is a key factor in reducing contact lens abandonment. As a laboratory, we invest heavily in training, both in person and by providing content on our platforms. It is up to the professional to apply the knowledge acquired in their day-to-day practice and always put the patient first, their well-being and their eye health.
I believe that if professionals are up-to-date and accompany contact lens wearers throughout the entire fitting and wearing process, there will be a reduction in lens abandonment and growth of the sector.
Read the full interview in Issue 230 of the ÓpticaPro Magazine.
