Contact Lens Care & Compliance

New Research on Compliance

By Susan J. Gromacki, OD, MS, FAAO

The 2010 American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting took place in San Francisco on Nov. 16 to 20. The conference's Scientific Program provides a forum for eyecare practitioners and research scientists to present their latest research findings.

This year's meeting had no less than 25 scientific posters and papers on the topic of lens care, including seven on compliance. Here is a summary of the latter category of presentation (with industry sponsorship, if applicable).

Research on Compliance

● Dias LC, Sencer S, Alford J et al. US optometrist and ophthalmologist attitudes and habits about contact lenses' performance, modality, and compliance. Of 372 contact lens practitioners, 96 percent consider daily disposables the healthiest modality, followed by two-week and monthly; 60 percent consider “regularly disinfecting contact lenses” as the most important compliance factor for health and hygiene. (Johnson & Johnson)

● Dumbleton KA, Richter D, Woods CA et al. Relationship between compliance with lens replacement and contact lens-related problems in silicone hydrogel wearers. Of 1,220 silicone hydro-gel patients, 82 percent of two-week and 53 percent of monthly replacement wearers wore their lenses longer than the manufacturers' recommended replacement. Only 51 percent of optometrists recommend a two-week replacement for two-week lenses. The percentage of patient-reported complications is greater for noncompliant (25 percent) than for compliant (18 percent) patients. (Ciba Vision)

● Hickson-Curran SB, Chalmers RL, Sencer S. Making the case for daily disposable contact lenses: patient non-compliance with storage case hygiene and replacement. Of 787 contact lens wearers, 30 percent clean their case daily (53 percent with tap water); 7 percent never clean or replace their case; median case replacement frequency is four to six months; 48 percent replace case annually or less often. (J&J)

● Mayers M, Callan BS, Borazjani R et al. Compliance and contamination in contact lens wear. After contact lens wear, 71 percent of patients (n=110) put lenses directly into the case with solution; 11 percent rinse only, and 7 percent rub; 36 percent replace their case yearly, 26 percent every three months or more often. Twenty percent report never cleaning their case, and 48 percent rinse with tap water. (Alcon)

● Powell CH, Kilvington S, Hoong L et al. Evaporation effects on the efficacy of contact lens multipurpose solutions. Loss of antifungal efficacy on evaporation may have been a causative factor in the recall of ReNu with MoistureLoc (Bausch + Lomb) following the Fusarium keratitis outbreak. RevitaLens Ocutec (Abbott Medical Optics) showed higher antimicrobial efficacy upon partial evaporation compared to ReNu Multiplus (B+L), Opti-Free Replenish (Alcon), and ReNu with MoistureLoc. (AMO)

● Robertson DM, Cavanagh HD. Contact lens risk awareness does not correspond with compliant behavior. Based on patient (n=162) responses to 10 behaviors, 86 percent perceive themselves as compliant; 27 percent demonstrated good compliance, 48 percent average compliance, and 25 percent noncompliance. Seventy-nine percent of perceived compliant patients showed good or average compliance; 60 percent who identified themselves as noncompliant actually were.

● Woods CA, Dumbleton KA, Richter D et al. Compliance with lens care and contact lens case care and replacement. Of 501 surveyed patients, 41 percent of multipurpose solution users never/almost never rubbed their lenses; 22 percent topped off their case; 21 percent cleaned their case daily; and 26 percent never cleaned their case. Thirty-seven percent of those noncompliant with lens replacement frequency (RF) replaced their case annually/never versus 25 percent who were RF compliant. (Ciba) CLS

---

Dr. Gromacki is a Diplomate in the Cornea, Contact Lenses, and Refractive Technologies section of the American Academy of Optometry. She is chief research optometrist at Keller Community Hospital in West Point, N.Y.