Optometric Management Supplements

Partners in Success 2015

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S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 • O P T O M E T R I C M A N A G E M E N T . C O M S 3 WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE PATIENT BEHAVIOR When it comes to lens care compliance, the statistics are jarring: while 85% of patients say they are compliant with lens care, only 2% actually demonstrate what the eye care community would consider acceptable compliance. More than 40% of patients have admitted to topping of their used contact solution occasionally or overnight 3 . Te imperative is clear — patients must understand the risks associated with poor lens care habits and be provided product options that best meet their needs. Alcon is setting the standard for lens care with the recent launch of CLEAR CARE® PLUS with HydraGlyde® Moisture Matrix technol- ogy, and the #1 doctor recommended lens care product, OPTI-FREE® PureMoist® Multi-Purpose Solution. We will continue innovating in this important area, educating eye care practitioners about the benefts of peroxide as a prob- lem-preventer, rather than a problem-solver, and educating patients about the importance of compliant behavior. We know patients in monthly or daily disposable lenses are more likely to dispose of their lenses at the recommended intervals, compared to patients wearing two-week lenses who may wear lenses longer than recommended. Patients wearing one-month and one-day modalities also return to their eye care providers at shorter intervals between eye exams 4 . We will continue to deliver innovations across the Alcon portfolio in modalities that best support patient compliance. HELPING PATIENTS SEE, LOOK AND FEEL THEIR BEST See Te breadth of contact lens products Alcon ofers allows for practitioners to talk to diferent types of patients — mil- lennials, Generation X or baby boomers; myopes and pres- byopes; astigmatic patients and even patients requiring no vision correction at all — to create interest in what is cur- rently a very low-engagement category. Alcon is conducting more consumer and patient outreach than ever before to drive awareness of contact lens options and interest in our broad range of lens products. Practitioners can also think diferently about the technologies they are recommending and that, combined with Alcon eforts, may help change the conversation about eye care in the United States. Look A patient's self-esteem may not be the frst reason they visit an optometrist, but practitioners have the chance — with the partnership of Alcon — to make a patient's ap- pearance and confdence part of the eye care conversation. In the 1990s, cosmetic contact lenses accounted for 13% of the total lens market, but today they are just over 3% 5 , de- spite a fast-growing beauty industry. Tis represents an op- portunity for practitioners to drive growth in the category. Alcon will continue to partner with optometrists and tech- nicians to drive interest in color contact lenses, through frequent updates for in-ofce materials and specialized education programs, such as the AIR OPTIX® COLORS Education Salon for contact lens technicians, and through unique consumer outreach programs. A recent survey conducted by Jacksonville University, in partnership with Alcon, showed that one in four adults say reading glasses can make someone look 10 years older 6 . Despite this and the increasing population of presbyopes in the US, multifocal contact lenses remain a low adoption cat- egory. Alcon aims to change that. An estimated 94% of prac- titioners are not actively recommending multifocal contact lenses to their presbyopic patients — a surprising number 7 , but also a tangible example of the real opportunity to grow the contact lens market as a whole. With new and upcom- ing practitioner resources and patient education materials about presbyopia and multifocal contact lenses coming from Alcon, we are committed to driving adoption within this under-served population. Feel At Alcon, product utility is balanced with patient comfort in mind, ensuring patients are happy with how their eyes perform, but also with how their eyes feel. As the industry moves toward more comfort-based research, Alcon is at the forefront of this frontier. DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses are the frst and only lenses with water-gradient technology, creating a feeling of comfort that many patients describe as feeling nothing at all. 8 As the aging population increases, incidence of dry eye is also growing. With our partners in optometry, Alcon is helping to drive awareness of the condition and to educate patients about the options available for treatment of dry eye symptoms, including the SYSTANE® family of products. CLOSING THOUGHTS Eye care is a rapidly growing industry. Tere is high unmet patient need, combined with an explosion of innovation. Tese factors, when taken together, mean that the feld of optometry is poised for a watershed moment. Alcon is a company that is fully committed to the eye care community and the profession of optometry. We are excited about what the future holds and want to strengthen our partnership with you so we can help even more patients see, look and feel their best REFERENCES 1. Glaucoma Research Foundation. Glaucoma Worldwide: A Growing Concern. http://www.glaucoma.org/gleams/glaucoma-worldwide-a-growing-concern.php. 2. Alcon Patient Journey, data on fle, Dec. 2013. 3. Robertson DM, Cavanagh HE. Non-compliance with contact lens wear and care practices: a comparative analysis. Optom Vis Sci. 2011;88(12):1402-1408. 4. Dumbleton K, Richter D, Jones L, Fonn D. Eye examination frequency and contact lens purchase patterns. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Acad- emy of Optometry, October 2013. 5. Based on third-party industry report, 1999-September 2013; Alcon data on fle. 6. Age Perception Impact Survey, 2015. Alcon data on fle. 7. 2013 Gallup Study of the US Multifocal Contact Lens Market. MS 13039. Jan. 2014. 8. In a clinical study with 80 patients, Alcon data on fle, 2011. S P O N S O R E D B Y A L C O N OPTOME TRIC MANAGEMENT CORPORATE PROFILE

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