PHOENIX, Ariz. (October 24, 2012) – Contact lenses prescribed for daily disposable replacement are associated with extremely low rates of unscheduled visits to the eye doctor, new research shows. The study also found that wearers of daily disposable contact lenses returned regularly for their annual eye examination. The findings were presented today at The American Academy of Optometry meeting.
“Along with the convenience benefits of no daily cleaning and wearing fresh lenses every day, daily disposables offer a healthy, trouble-free lens-wearing experience for many people,” says study co-author Sheila Hickson-Curran, BSc (Hons), MCOptom, FAAO, Director of Medical Affairs, VISTAKON® Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. “When prescribing daily disposable lenses, doctors can feel confident that they are prescribing lenses for the best clinical response and patient experience.”
About the Study
This study used a sponsor-masked, chart review involving prospective chart selection and retrospective review of patient records. One hundred U.S.-based optometrists participated, their eligibility confirmed if they recommended and prescribed daily disposable hydrogel contact lenses according to manufacturer recommended replacement frequency. A sample of 588 daily disposable contact lens wearers’ charts were reviewed retrospectively going back over a three-year study period, and were reviewed for number of office visits for clinical complaints related to contact lens performance and duration between scheduled annual exams.
Over the three-year study period, 82 percent of patients never had an unscheduled office visit due to complaints related to their contact lenses. Of those who did, most had only one visit and only two percent had more than one unscheduled visit over the study period. This results in an annualized rate of just 0.11 visits per year.
The vast majority of daily disposable contact lens wearers returned to their prescribing doctor for annual scheduled examinations. The median timeframe was 12.7 months, with few patients returning prior to 12 months or stretching the interval between examinations beyond 15 months.
Source: Hickson-Curran, S, Alford, J, “Daily Disposable Hydrogel Lenses: Impact on Frequency of Scheduled and Unscheduled Clinic Visits,” Presented October 24, 2012 at American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting.
The study was supported by funding from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
VISTAKON® is a trademark of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
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