VISTAKON® Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (September 5, 2012) -- Soft contact lenses are worn safely and comfortably by millions of people worldwide, and have a long history of providing wearers with a safe and effective form of vision correction when properly worn and cared for. However, research shows that many contact lens wearers are significantly non-compliant in virtually all active steps involved in soft contact lens wear, including hand washing, case hygiene, lens disinfection, and following the recommended lens replacement schedule.
To assist practitioners in helping new and current contact lens wearers better understand how to safely wear and care for their contacts, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. has developed Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses, a new educational resource for in-office, website, and social media use.
“Helping practitioners educate patients about eye care is a core component of our company’s educational efforts,”
says Sheila Hickson-Curran, BSc (Hons), MCOptom, FAAO, Director of Medical Affairs, VISTAKON® Division
Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. “Through this new tool, we hope to complement eye care professionals in helping patients learn how to get the full benefits of their contact lenses and help lessen the risk for infection or other serious complications, such as microbial keratitis.
"Infections in contact lens wearers are often found among individuals who improperly store, handle, or disinfect their contacts" add Hickson-Curran, co-author of a study1 that surveyed frequent replacement contact lens wearers about their attitudes and behaviors regarding compliance with soft contact lenses. “How patients comply during each step of contact lens wear and care has a well documented impact on the rate of complications. Each step of non-compliance that results in no ill effects only reinforces poor behavior because nothing bad happens,” she adds.
Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses offers helpful “Do’s and Don’ts” for handling and wearing contact lenses and offers some easy-to-follow steps on how to reduce the risk of contact lens-related infection through proper use and care of contact lenses as well as lens-care products such as contact lens cases. It also includes a section for eye care professionals and/or staff to fill out with patients to reinforce replacement schedules, proper cleaning and disinfecting techniques, and a reminder on when to change their contact lens case. Information about other resources where consumers can find helpful information about proper wear and care is also included.
Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses is available in both PDF and print versions. The PDF copies, which practitioners can customize/personalize to include their contact information can be viewed and downloaded at www.ACUVUEProfessional.com/HVCL. The print versions include 50 tear-sheets on a pad. To request a pad, send your name and address to [email protected].
VISTAKON® is a trademark of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.