Optimising contact lens comfort for wearer success

Which change to the contact lens landscape could have the most dramatic impact on wearer satisfaction and therefore business success in the coming years?

When confronted with this question, optometrists and contact lens opticians (eye care practitioners, ECPs) tend to migrate to sophisticated improvements in contact lens designs, such as a novel multifocal lens or some form of complex ‘smart’ contact lens.

Of course, such innovations would open up new opportunities and probably drive new fits. But the most important change, which would increase the number of wearers and market size, is largely in the hands of ECPs: reducing the number of contact lens wearers who stop using their lenses. In other words, to minimise ‘drop-outs’ or ‘discontinuations’. ECPs have considerable influence over this phenomenon and the key to success in this area is to understand the key influence of contact lens discomfort (CLD) on drop-out rates, to appreciate the causes of CLD, and to then consider how it can best be managed.

• Drop out rate across all contact lens wearers in the UK is 17%¹
• If annualised drop-out rate falls by 2%, to 15% of current wearers, the number of wearers will double in seven years.

For the full report, please email [email protected] or contact your Alcon Representative.