Spectacle-only wearers may be reluctant to try contact lenses (CLs) unless they are recommended by their eyecare professional and may not have full picture about contact lenses, CooperVision’s latest Consumer Insights Series report revealed.
The YouGov survey, commissioned by CooperVision, queried more than 4,000 dual-wearers and 4,000 spectacle-only wearers across Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the US. It found patients rely on their ECP to suggest alternative forms of vision correction, with about one in five respondents stating they started wearing CLs because of their ECP’s recommendation. Another 23% of respondents were unaware that CLs were even available for their prescription.
When asked about the advantages of their vision correction approach, only one-third (32%) of surveyed spectacle-only wearers agreed that their glasses were comfortable and just 26% said their glasses formed “part of their personality”. In contrast, 52% of dual-wearers stated they liked the way they look in CLs and 58% appreciated that their CLs did not fog up or get dirty.
To encourage spectacle-only wearers to consider CLs, the report recommends three steps: be proactive; make it personal; and get lenses on eyes.
“By helping more people understand that they can wear contact lenses, ECPs can further deepen their relationships and increase their value as a trusted advisor in caring for their patients. This includes explaining that glasses and contact lenses do not have to be an ‘either-or’ choice, but can co-exist,” said Gary Orsborn, vice president of global professional, medical and clinical affairs for CooperVision. “By understanding the insights outlined in this study and more routinely discussing patients’ vision-correction options ECPs can help to bridge gaps in knowledge and misperceptions of spectacle-only wearers.”
