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, web site and social media use.
“Helping practitioners educate patients about eyecare 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 eyecare 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” adds Hickson-Curran, co-author of a study 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 says.
Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses offers dos 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 eyecare 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 tips 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 healthyvision@its.jnj.com.
NEW PROFESSIONAL WEB SITE
Meanwhile, VISTAKON parent company Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., has launched a new web site, www.ACUVUEprofessional.com, for eyecare professionals. The new web site, designed to function on desktops, tablets and mobile devices, features a unique contact lens finder, which includes the entire line of ACUVUE Brand Contact Lenses, as well as products from other major manufacturers. This new tool was designed to help doctors quickly find the right contact lens for their patients by easily searching through different lens parameters, manufacturers, modalities and materials.
Visitors to www.ACUVUEprofessional.com can also access detailed product information on all ACUVUE Brands such as Dk/t, lens designs and the latest rebate information.
Patient instructional videos are also a new feature on the site. These short, consumer-friendly videos were designed as a resource for doctors to help patients understand common refractive errors, proper lens care, how to insert and remove contacts, ACUVUE Brand technologies and more. Plus, eyecare professionals can embed these videos on their practices’ web pages.
On www.ACUVUEprofessional.com, eyecare professionals can also find a variety of useful practice resources, including interactive videos and articles offering advice from peers on how to increase patient satisfaction and practice growth. Doctors will also have the opportunity to sign up for the free “Find a Doctor” interactive online map, which will be listed on the consumer site, www.ACUVUE.com. This tool makes it easier for potential patients to find an eye doctor in their area.
