Contact Lens Institute (CLI) and the United Opticians Association (UOA) announced new consumer and professional research titled "Vision for Growth: Opticianry’s Essential Role in Contact Lens Wear and Care" that illustrates opticians’ vital roles in optimizing contact lens experiences, including high levels of patient trust. Opticians themselves report having multiple contact lens-related responsibilities, yet also desire additional involvement and education, according to the findings.
The January 2026 survey of US and Canadian contact lens patients indicated that 89% believe opticians are important in helping to achieve the best vision possible, with 83% saying opticians were extremely or very valuable to their contact lens-specific experience.
In addition, another 84% of contact lens users indicate their interactions with opticians made them more confident about wear and care. Patients are also likely to turn to opticians for help with a contact lens issue—85% say they definitely or probably would do so.
Living Up to Elevated Role Expectations
When asked about multiple contact lens roles relating to instruction and care, about 9 in 10 patients were familiar with opticians’ undertaking these tasks. More than 80% also expect their opticians to answer questions, provide application and removal training, and recommend resources to improve the experience. Approximately two-thirds or more of opticians say they have these responsibilities.
An expectation-to-action outlier was optician-led home follow-up (eg, via phone, email, or text) following a new contact lens prescription. While 70% of patients expect opticians to do this, only 34% of opticians report conducting such outreach.
Of particular note in the report is patient trust in opticians’ performance of contact lens education and related tasks; results were above 80% across the board, on par with how consumers scored ophthalmologists and optometrists.
High Demand for More Contact Lens Education
In relation to their contact lens wear, respondents chose contact lens knowledge as a quality that matters most to them in opticians, followed closely by professionalism. And although 60% of wearers said they are very satisfied with their opticians’ guidance, another 32% said they were only somewhat satisfied, exposing opportunities for enhanced care.
The findings also show that greater professional education may prove valuable. For example, about half of opticians (48%) say their knowledge of contact lenses is the same as spectacle frames and lenses, although 38% report they know moderately or significantly less. And when given the opportunity, 56% say they would like to be more involved in the contact lens patient wearing experience, yet 28% say they are uncertain.
Finally, the findings also emphasize that opticians want to learn more. Two-thirds (67%) report a high interest in taking advantage of additional contact lens training, if such were accessible. Preference as to where education should take place is split, with 52% requesting online methods and 48% wanting in-person options.
“Success with contact lens wear is a team effort, and opticians play a vital role,” said Stan Rogaski, CLI’s executive director, in a press release by CLI and the UOA announcing the report's publication. “Our new research reinforces past CLI See Tomorrow findings that every member of the practice contributes to the wearing experience, and it highlights opportunities for practice leaders to better leverage opticians’ knowledge and the trust that patients place in them.”
Gwen Cooper, MPA, CFRE, executive director of the United Opticians Association, also added in the press release, “Opticians are visibly proud of their roles in aiding contact lens wearers, and eager to learn and do more. That’s one sign of a healthy profession, and we are focused on identifying new occasions to provide contact lens education that our members want.”
The findings are now available as a free downloadable report from https://contactlensinstitute.org/resources/see-tomorrow, the latest installment in CLI’s See Tomorrow series. They will also be discussed at OptiCon ’26 @ Vision Expo during the “Vision for Growth: Consumer Perspectives on Opticianry & Contact Lens Success” expert panels on Thursday, March 12, and Friday, March 13. OM