Issue link: https://optometricmanagementsupplements.epubxp.com/i/587112
FE ATURE LENS PERFORMANCE IN THE RE AL WORLD S P E C I A L E D I T I O N 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 11 With these lenses, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., has taken the proven senoflcon A material, enhanced it with HydraLuxe Technology, and made it available as a daily disposable lens, with the goal of providing more con- sistent performance for demanding days. We sat down as a group to discuss our initial clinical im- pressions and how to incorporate this lens — or any new contact lens technology — into one's practice. UNCOVERING PATIENT NEEDS Q: HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH CONTACT LENS TO PRESCRIBE FOR A PATIENT? Monica Brown, OD: I like to ask the question, "Do you like, love or hate your current contacts?" If the answer is "like," then I know I've got some room to improve to turn that into a "love." One of the insights leading into this study was that patients ofen use diferent language than we do to describe symptoms. For example, the term "tired eyes" is commonly used to describe what we as clinicians would call dryness (Figure 2). Recognizing and address- ing that complaint — and linking its cause to patients' eye physiology or lifestyle — is one way to turn the wearing experience around. April Jasper, OD: I ask similar questions. What I'm really looking for is an opportunity to help move pa- tients into the best technology available to provide them with good vision for a lifetime and the best performance based on their individual needs and eye physiology. But to do that, you have to really get to their needs and what they want from their contact lenses. Tat information helps me fnd a trigger for change around which to frame the conversation. For example, if a patient has just started training for an Ironman triathlon, I can help her maximize comfort, vision and health for long hours outside in the sun and wind. Or, if someone comes in wearing scrubs and I know he works at the hospital down the street, I can talk about how discarding the accumulation of bacteria and chemi- cals on the lens each day might be the best option for someone in a health care profession. Tose are the kind of conversations that make our recommendations real and personal to patients. Ultimately, we are in the business of solving for our patients' needs. Jeffrey Sonsino, OD: I agree. My goal is to have the patient come to the conclusion that he or she needs to be in something else, even if it's just for certain situ- ations. If I let a patient try a new lens technology, like ACUVUE OASYS Brand 1-Day, that patient walks out of the exam thinking, "Wow, he gave me something that I didn't even think about before." Tat's how you personal- ize it to the patient. You look at the individual patient's needs and prescribe not just a modality, but the best com- bination of modality, wetting properties, deposit resis- tance and other characteristics that best meet those needs. Dr. Brown: I think that ACUVUE OASYS Brand 1-Day is going to be a great lens for new wearers. We can expect that new lens wearers will be heavily into digital technol- ogy, so this is a lens that will help support their tear flm for the kind of lifestyle they lead. Plus, it launches them into contact lens wear with a really healthy modality and great comfort. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Q: IN THE CONSUMER PREFERENCE STUDY, EACH OF US RE-FIT ABOUT 15 ESTABLISHED SOFT CONTACT LENS WEARERS FROM THEIR HABITUAL LENSES INTO ACUVUE OASYS BRAND 1-DAY. WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE DID YOU GET FROM PATIENTS? Dr. Sonsino: Tirteen of the 15 patients from our practice were unequivocal in saying they wanted to purchase these Keith Smithson, O.D. (Moderator) Monica Brown, O.D. April Jasper, O.D. Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D. Roundtable Participants Figure 2.