Dr. Jason Miller and Dr. Mile Brujic recently co-presented a CooperVision sponsored webinar on ODWire.org titled Building Your Practice with Digital iHealth and Multifocals. Below is a summary of the multifocal fittings portion of their presentation, written by Dr. Jason Miller:
Multifocal Lens Fittings – Stay the Course!
Probably the most important part of multifocal contact lens fittings is the pre-fitting conference (PFC). During the PFC, I identify patients’ occupations, hobbies and daily visual requirements in order to educate them properly on their available options. Use the PFC to gauge their interest and describe the expected fitting timeline (e.g., customizing the prescription and fit) and appropriate fees upfront.
Keep current on presbyopic contact lens options in order to present patients’ options in a positive way while setting realistic expectations. For example, try to communicate presbyopic fitting in such a way as to avoid the words “compromise” or “loss of vision.” Instead, describe multifocal lenses as “customized” or “balanced” according to each patient’s visual system. If the patient needs readers to see the phone book or medicine bottles, this tactic is successful.
The next time you fit a patient with multifocal contact lenses, consider a practical test to determine a difference in functionality with the lenses. For example, ask patients to look at their cell phones, and ask them if they can see the numbers. By allowing them to see the instant improvement in vision with something that they utilize every day, your patients will be more likely to realize the functionality that this modality can offer.
Next, Troubleshoot Fit and Vision
There may be specific occasions in which the patient wants more distance and/or more near vision. Don’t pay as much attention to the 20/whatever reading, be ready to make adjustments to satisfy the patients’ needs. Even a small change in the prescription can make a large improvement in the patient’s visual abilities. If you made your initial calculations correctly, you are basically customizing the multifocal contact lenses to the patient’s daily visual tasks. Also, make sure to identify the patient’s dominant eye, in the event that vision adjustments are needed down the road.
Modified monovision is an acceptable endpoint. As you know, monovision has many limitations—e.g., sensitivity to blur and imbalance. Nevertheless, multifocal technology allows our patients to have better binocular balance and offers the ability to see clearly with both eyes at all distances. Eye-care professionals are changing their fitting trends, but they still lag behind patient preferences. The most important stat, 76% of patients report that they prefer multifocal contact lenses over monovision contact lenses consistently in multiple studies.
Want to hear more? Access the entire webinar on ODWire.org.