Patients Recall Few Suggestions for Contact Lens Wear, Care

About one-third of contact lens wearers recall never hearing any recommendation for lens wear and care from providers, although most providers report sharing recommendations always or most of the time, according to research published in the issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Nuadum M. Konne, M.P.H., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues conducted two surveys to examine contact lens education about nine recommendations. The surveys assessed contact lens wearer experiences regarding communication from eye care providers and provider-reported practices for communicating contact lens wear and care recommendations to patients.

The researchers found that 32.9 percent of contact lens wearers aged ≥18 years recalled never hearing any recommendations for lens wear and care. Overall, 47.9 and 19.8 percent recalled that their provider recommended not sleeping in lenses and told them to avoid topping off their contact lens solution, respectively. Most providers reported sharing recommendations always or most of the time at initial visits, regular checkups, and visits related to complications. Nearly all recommendations were shared by providers more frequently at initial and complication-related visits than at regular checkups. At regular checkups, eye care providers most often recommended complying with the recommended lens replacement schedules, not sleeping in lenses, and not topping off solution (85, 79, and 64.4 percent of regular visits, respectively).

"Improving communications between providers and patients could help contact lens wearers understand proper eye care," the authors write.

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