A new report, commissioned by CooperVision, finds eye care practitioners (ECPs) are reluctant to recommend 1-day silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses due to misperceptions about cost, material allergy and comfort.

The “1-Day Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens Report: Does Professional Practice Align with Consumer Expectations?” reports 95% of ECPs say they would recommend SiHy lenses over hydrogel lenses for daily disposable-wear if they were cost-equivalent to hydrogels. Yet, 68% of patients say they expect their ECP to make recommendations regardless of cost.

In addition, more than half of ECPs believe a silicone allergy could exist. While some patients may experience allergy-like responses, SiHy allergy is not biologically possible, according to the report. Also, many ECPs think the lenses are not as comfortable as hydrogel lenses. Yet, 88% agree that 1-day SiHy lenses provide better long-term wearing comfort.

The report, which also offers steps to bridge the misperceptions, was based on research conducted among more than 450 ECPs and 1,500 consumers in the United States, UK and Japan. It is available at coopervision.com/silicone-hydrogel-report . ■