Times they are a-changin for contact lens practice

Increased submissions to ophthalmology scientific journals during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The 87% increase in invited editorials is interesting as it actually represents more of a change in the journal. Some journals may have invited editorials related to the pandemic; in CLAE there were 3 editorials directly related to contact lens practice during the pandemic [6] , [7] , [8] . Review submissions increased by 77% across all journals.…”

Exploring contact lens opportunities for patients above the age of 40 years

“…They are willing to listen to advice from their eye care practitioner and the fact they will need aftercare appointments features low in causing them to not wear lenses or dropout of contact lenses. The introduction of virtual appointments could be a useful addition to contact lens practice, especially in the case of asymptomatic patients who are attending for a routine aftercare [18,19]. Another lesson for eye care practitioners could be to develop their own internet sites for their own optical practice, where patients can get the desired convenience, but still feel connected to the optical practice and know that they can get support when it is needed.…”

The impact of COVID-19 on soft contact lens wear in established European and US markets

“…In the near future, a multitude of factors could influence eye care practice and demand for services [26] , [27] . An indication that many respondents who decreased lens wear during the pandemic also expressed a desire to return to pre-pandemic wearing levels, offers a positive signal to those concerned about market recovery prospects [25] .…”