This issue of Optometric Management is dedicated to the wealth of opportunities presented by contact lenses. A key to taking full advantage of these opportunities is to recognize the wide base of potential contact lens wearers, and one method of identifying them is to simply ask. Specifically, Dr. Susan Resnick recommends that when scheduling appointments, have staff ask every patient, “Will this evaluation be for both eyeglasses and contact lenses?” (See Dr. Resnick’s article “Build a Contact Lens Practice,” OM January/February 2022).

Research suggests asking even those who have dropped out of contact lens (CL) wear: “If given the chance, CL dropouts are often able to successfully resume CL wear up to 74% of the time,” according to the 2020 study, “A Review of Contact Lens Dropout,” by Drs. Andrew D. Pucker and Anna A. Tichenor, published in “Clinical Optometry.”

FROM DROPOUT TO SUCCESS

Dr. Susan Gromacki discusses one of the reasons for contact lens dropout in “Combat Soft Contact Lens-Caused Red Eye." Dr. Gromacki offers diagnosis and treatment steps for many of the causes of red eye, including allergy, dry eye disease, infections, and more, so patients can return to enjoying the benefits of contact lens wear.

While orthokeratology is a core treatment for many children, parents often hesitate to commit to the treatment for their children. To help overcome this challenge, Dr. Cary Herzberg provides ortho-k scripts that educate parents on cost, safety, and the effectiveness of the treatment (see “Orthokeratology: Overcome Parent Hesitancy."

Staff also can contribute to a practice’s success with CLs. In “Boost Annual Contact Lens Dispensing” (p.28), for example, Dr. Jason E. Compton explains how he prepares staff to discuss the benefits of purchasing annual supplies of CLs. Staff members then provide education in areas, such as safety, savings, and financing.

In “Combine Aberrometry and Scleral Lenses to Improve Visual Outcome." Dr. Norman Brandon writes that, assisted with aberrometry data, scleral lenses “often help reduce the higher- and lower-order aberrations of my practice’s patients by 50%.” Dr. Brandon’s article outlines how he identifies and corrects these aberrations.

Let’s keep the CL conversation going: Email your ideas for CL success to james.thomas@broadcastmed.com. OM