MONTHLY WEARERS : SUFFERING IN SILENCE
What you don ’ t know about your monthly contact lens wearers ’ experience could be hurting your practice
Most practices have a significant share of patients wearing monthly replacement lenses . But have you ever thought about what makes those patients different from others who wear daily disposable or 2-week reusable lenses ? Some qualitative research by the Global Strategic Insights team at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care , Inc . provides some insight .
If we were to profile the monthly patient , we might find that it is someone who wears contact lenses every day , but is not particularly engaged in the contact lens experience . This patient wants affordable , reliable , hassle-free contact lens wear and seeks to maximize the use of each pair of lenses over a full month .
However , recent research shows that the majority of monthly wearers are not getting the reliable comfort they want from their contacts all month long .
End-of-month troubles
In recent surveys of habitual spherical monthly contact lens wearers in the U . S . and Europe , over two thirds of respondents said they experienced comfort-related issues with contact lens wear and half were not satisfied with their lenses by Week 4 of wear . 1 , 2 To manage their wear experience , nearly all the patients experiencing comfort issues engaged in some kind of compensating behaviour . For example , 84 % of those patients reported taking breaks from wearing lenses during the
Cristina M . Schnider , OD , MBA , FAAO and Michelle Wales , MMR
day , using non-prescription re-wetting drops , or removing and re-inserting their lenses – sometimes without cleaning them .
Impact on the eye care professional-patient relationship
Those compensating behaviours might be a bad sign for patient retention in contact lenses and in your practice . More than 80 % of the monthly wearers who experienced comfort-related issues said they felt annoyed , inconvenienced , or frustrated as a result . 1
73 %
84 %
73 % of monthly wearers 2 experience comfort-related issues
of this 73 %
compensate with lens removal , breaks , or rewetting drops
don ’ t plan to tell their ECPs because most think comfort issues are “ normal ”
What is even more worrying is that 73 % of respondents said they don ’ t plan to bring up comfort issues or their contact lens frustration at their next eye exam , mostly because most think discomfort is normal . 2 Experiencing and compensating for comfort-related issues becomes what patients expect , instead of the 30 days of reliable comfort they originally wanted .
Key Insights
• Comfort and satisfaction decline from week 1 to week 4 with current monthly contact lenses
• Monthly wearers desire hassle-free , maximum use of each pair of contact lenses
• Experiencing comfort-related issues frustrates patients
• Prescribing a more comfortable lens will make patients more likely to return to the practice
How can you turn this dissatisfaction into a positive for your practice ? Well , 80 % of patients said that if their eye care professional switched them to a more comfortable lens , they would have a more positive opinion of that professional , recommend them to friends and family , and be more likely to return to the practice or make additional purchases . 1
ACUVUE ® Brand Contact Lenses include a portfolio of products with EYE-INSPIRED TM Designs to meet your patients ’ unique lifestyle and eye physiology needs . For many patients , a shorter replacement schedule may be a better option . However , for those who prioritize the replacement cycle and affordability of monthly wear , there is ACUVUE ® VITA™ Brand Contact Lenses , a lens designed specifically to deliver reliable , superior comfort – all month long . The newest addition to the ACUVUE ® Brand Portfolio will be available nationwide on August 29 , 2016 .
NEW
1-Month
Dr . Schnider and Ms . Wales are employed by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care , Inc .
1 . Online survey conducted in 2015 in which 237 US respondents who were current monthly spherical contact lens wearers responded to daily surveys over a 30-day period . Data on file , Johnson & Johnson Vision Care , Inc .
2 . Online survey conducted in 2015 among 758 current monthly spherical contact lens wearers in the US , UK , and Germany . Data on file , Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Companies .
ACUVUE ® VITA™ Brand Contact Lenses are indicated for vision correction as a daily wear lens with one-month recommended replacement . As with any contact lens , eye problems , including corneal ulcers , can develop . Some wearers may experience mild irritation , itching or discomfort . Lenses should not be prescribed if patients have any eye infection , or experience eye discomfort , excessive tearing , vision changes , redness or other eye problems . Consult the package insert for complete information . Complete information is also available from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care division of Johnson & Johnson Inc ., by calling 1-800-267-5098 or by visiting acuvueprofessional . ca
ACUVUE ® , ACUVUE ® VITA TM and EYE-INSPIRED TM are trademarks of Johnson & Johnson Inc . © Johnson & Johnson Inc . 2016 July 2016
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care