A myopia management journey

Delegates at 100% Optical (24-26 February) gained unique insight into the experiences of the original participants of the MiSight 1 day clinical study.

Elizabeth Lumb, director of global professional affairs, myopia, for CooperVision, presented the session, A journey of myopia management, with a panel of four individuals who had been recruited to the MiSight 1 day clinical study as children in 2012.

The session shared the experiences of the individuals as contact lens wearers, and the impact of myopia management on their lives.

OT heard from Leila, 23, and Lily, 18, on their experience of myopia management contact lenses and being part of the clinical study.

Lily, who started wearing spectacles at the age of three and began wearing contact lenses at eight, shared: “Even until coming this weekend, I don’t think I really understood that it was quite a big deal.”

She added that it had been a fun experience: “It was a cool thing to say to people – ‘Guess what? I wear contact lenses now. I have to go on these machines and they are looking at my eyes.’”

Leila said: “It’s not even necessarily something I’ve thought about in my day-to-day life over being in the study. It blended into my life seamlessly.”

In preparation for the talk, Lumb had enquired around what the panelists knew of their own myopia and what it meant for their future. She told OT: “The interesting thing for me was that none of them were motivated by any of those things.”

Considering the effect of myopia management in her life, Leila commented: “Hopefully my prescription is a lot better than it would have been. I find wearing glasses quite heavy on my face so hopefully, even if I do go back to wearing glasses, because my prescription is not as bad as it could have been, that will be less of a problem for me.”

For Lily, there were immediate short-term benefits to wearing contact lenses growing up. She explained: “I wear hearing aids and it was a lot easier not having my glasses as well because having them both on can be quite uncomfortable and it really put me off wearing them.”

“I wear hearing aids full time now, and I think part of that is it's just a lot easier and I feel a lot more eager to wear them,” she added.

Lumb highlighted that two individuals who had been involved in the study were now considering careers in the British army.

“Like other vocational jobs, there is a minimum standard of vision. Without MiSight 1 day it is possible they may not have been able to fulfil those aspirations,” she said.

“If we’re only thinking about ocular health in the future, we’re missing some of the things that are really key to those individuals we’re talking to and having in the practice all the time,” Lumb commented.

An eight-year-old's idea of what they want to be when they are older, is not necessarily the same when they are in their 20s, she noted, adding: “I think that is key to think about – not just the long-term health, but what is the short-term and mid-term motivation for these individuals?”

I think that is key to think about – not just the long-term health, but what is the short-term and mid-term motivation for these individuals?

Leila suggested that it had been easier for her to start wearing contact lenses at the age of 12, than it had been for some of her friends in their 20s.

In terms of the myopia management benefits, she said: “If you can do this, why wouldn’t you? I think it’s really worth it on the level of improving my day-to-day quality of life not needing to wear glasses, and the long-term benefits of the myopia management.”

Lumb highlighted that for the participants the benefits of being part of the study ranged from being able to play sport to a high level, to starting secondary school without feeling dependent on glasses.

This rang true for Leila, who felt that wearing contact lenses as a shy 12-year-old gave her more confidence.

Commenting on the study, she said: “It was actually really fun. Sometimes I got to miss school, and everyone at the appointments was always really friendly, so I didn’t feel like I was being inspected by people in lab coats. It felt like something that was for my benefit.”