CooperVision presented the sixth and final episode in the Best Practices webinar series, "Best Practices to Get You Back to Practice" on June 15th at 8pm. The topic for the sixth webinar was "Help Your Patients Adapt to Increased Screen Time." The webinar featured Best Practices honorees Stephanie Woo, OD, FAAO, FSLS of the Contact Lens Institute of Nevada and Raj Patel, OD, FAAO of Vancouver Vision Clinic. Additionally, CooperVision's Steve Diamanti, PhD, Senior Manager, Technical Marketing, shared insights on Biofinity Energys® contact lenses. Jennifer Palombi, OD, FAAO, Senior Manager of Education and Development for CooperVision, hosted and moderated the conversation.
Drs. Woo and Patel shared their top tips related to digital eye strain as practices reopen:
Make the investment.
Invest in a good pair of glasses or contact lenses if you have a prescription. An accurate prescription can help your eyes focus properly and may reduce eye strain. An out of date or inaccurate prescription may cause unnecessary focusing issues and headaches.
Ask for recommendations.
Ask your eye care practitioner about glasses or contact lens recommendations for increased screen time. There are different lens designs and coatings that are specifically made for patients who spend a large amount of time on computer screens.
Follow the 20-20-20 rule.
Take a visual break every 20 minutes, changing your focus to view an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Track your screen time.
We typically underestimate our screen time. To better understand how much time you’re spending in front of screens, track your screen time, a function through most smart phones.
Additional considerations.
Consider using artificial tears 1-2 times a day and warm compresses in the evening. This will help improve gland function and releases the static oil.
A pdf of these tips can be downloaded here:
Visit the ECP Viewpoints Best Practices Category Page to find insights from all 6 webinars in the series.
