Material benefits

If there is one fable that has parallels to contact lens wear, it is the story of a humble legume creating a sleepless night.

As contact lenses rest on the cornea – one of the body’s most sensitive surfaces ­– the smallest amount of friction can have a big impact on comfort.

While there are a greater array of contact lenses and materials on the market than ever before, patients need the guidance and expertise of practice teams to find the contact lens that meets their individual needs.

After all, in the manner of someone who has slept on polyester sheets all their life before trying Egyptian cotton, patients will not know there is something better out there until they try it.

OT spoke with Johnson & Johnson’s UK and Ireland professional education and development lead, Dr Rachel Hiscox, about advances in contact lens materials – and what this means for comfort and vision.

Constant evolution

Hiscox shared that contact lens manufacturers are continuously working on innovations that satisfy unmet patient needs and address the top causes for contact lens dropout.

“With comfort and vision remaining the leading causes of dropout, research and development teams continuously strive to create contact lenses that address these problems,” she said.

Hiscox highlighted that new materials are designed to better retain moisture – keeping patients comfortable for longer hours of wear, in more challenging environments.

“But comfort extends beyond the physical, meaning innovation in optics and light filtering are just as important. There are now numerous studies that show successful refitting of previously lapsed wearers into newer designs: a true testament to the progress in contact lens design,” she said.

Turning to influential examples of technological progress within contact lenses, Hiscox highlights the role of myopia management.

“An innovation that cannot be overlooked is myopia management, where contact lenses provide a therapeutic function beyond vision correction,” she said.

She shared that in myopia management contact lenses that are specifically designed for children, smaller palpebral aperture size is taken into account to aid handling.

Hiscox noted that professional guidance makes it clear that eye care professionals should be able to discuss myopia management with patients.

This development within the profession means that contact lenses are likely to be offered to patients in younger age groups than was previously commonplace.

“Beyond the therapeutic benefit of myopia management, it is important to remember that contact lenses for young people can have a significant social impact,” she said.

Team work

In a similar manner to developments in mobile phone technology, Hiscox highlighted that contact lenses are continuously evolving to meet the growing demands of patients.

“It’s important that practice teams can confidently communicate this message with patients, particularly those that may have been told they were not suitable for contact lenses in the past or those who have previously ceased contact lens wear,” she said.

“Advancements in materials mean patients can wear contact lenses comfortably for longer periods, whilst developments in optics mean patients can expect better visual outcomes, with reduced visual stress,” Hiscox added.

In terms of how practice team members can keep up-to-date with the latest developments in contact lens materials, Hiscox is an advocate of personally trying out new contact lenses. Acuvue offer free contact lens trials.

“Provided a qualified professional in the practice team can do the fitting, there really is nothing to lose. Through trying new innovations practice team members can then have conversations with patients based on their personal experience,” Hiscox said.

If trying out contact lenses is not an option, Hiscox suggested that browsing and signing up to manufacturer websites is a good way of keeping informed.

Signing up to the Johnson & Johnson website involves providing a job role – meaning that practice team members will receive relevant content depending on their position and qualification level.

“Equally useful are the patient facing websites, like Acuvue, where contact lenses are presented in a patient-friendly way, with the key features of each product clearly stated,” Hiscox highlighted.

Communication tips

Hiscox emphasised the importance of tailored communication when talking to patients about contact lenses.

“The most important thing to remember when having any conversations with patients is to make the interaction personal and to translate technical product features into real-world personal benefits,” she said.

Hiscox shared that when talking with patients about contact lenses, a good acronym to remember is FAB – which stands for Feature, Advantage and Benefit.

Providing an example of how this acronym might work in practice, Hiscox shared how she would advise a presbyopic patient who enjoys attending regular gym classes but has previously struggled with contact lenses due to eye dryness.

“A personalised recommendation in this case could be ‘The TearStable technology (feature) in this contact lens is designed to maximise comfort (advantage) by locking in moisture, meaning you can comfortably see the instructor and your sports watch (benefit) during your gym classes',” Hiscox shared.

“This personal recommendation helps the patient understand how the contact lens can benefit their life in a meaningful way,” she emphasised.