Success with multifocal daily disposable contact lenses starts and ends with patient expectations. Dropouts happen when those expectations are not met. Patient frustrations and dropouts can often be frustrating to eyecare practitioners and may even discourage some from offering and fitting multifocal lenses. The words that are chosen to set expectations upfront can help drive success rates higher and higher. Consider these steps:

1. Setting expectations starts with listening to your patients and identifying their occupations, hobbies, and daily visual requirements so that you can most effectively educate them on all the available options.

2. Describe the technology to patients. Take 1 or 2 minutes to discuss from a high level how simultaneous vision works and how both their distance and near vision pass through their pupil at the same time and their brain filters that out. Practitioners can call it brain adaptation, and that’s why we need them to wear the lenses and let that process happen.

3. Discuss the balanced vision. The fitting process allows eyecare practitioners to balance out their patients’ distance and near vision. Let patients understand that while this technology may not satisfy 100% of their visual demands, it can address the most important needs. Remind patients of this at their contact lens check-ins and at future exams. When they return and want to see street signs from 1 mile away, tell them that can be done, but they will often lose a little bit of their near vision. Alternatively, when a patient would like to see pill-bottle-sized print, let them know it is a possibility, but they may lose some sharpness in their distant vision. Continue to remind them that this is a custom fitting, and their visual needs drives the prescription.

Expectations are everything. It can mean the difference between success and failure. Use phrases like “balanced vision” and “custom fitting” to help patients understand what is happening. Utilize a system for orienting and clarifying expectations with each patient to drive success with this daily disposable-wearing population.

Jason R. Miller, is in a partnership private practice in Powell, OH. He has received remuneration from VSP Vision Care and Lentechs LLC and has a research grant or contract with Alcon, Sun Pharma, Visus, Kowa, LENZ Therapeutics, and Lentechs LLC. You can reach him at drmiller@eyecarepowell.com.

This editorial content was supported via unrestricted sponsorship.