BCLA conference highlights importance of strength in clinical care

A common theme throughout a range of presentations in the commercial and business stream of last month’s British Contact Lens Association conference was the nurture of a medically based relationship between patient and practitioner,.

US speakers Dr Jack Shaeffer and Dr Kirk Smick presenting in the Global Contact Lens Forum, a partnership with Vision Expo, said following the medical model was the only sustainable way forward for eye care. ‘The best way to retain your patient is to know what is happening clinically,’ said Dr Shaeffer. The duo said all the three big drivers of dropout – cost, compliance and convenience – could be addressed through strong clinical care. This should combine prescribing the best lenses and solutions and sensibly funded, regular care to head off problems before they arose. ‘The faster and stronger you get in the clinical model the better you will retain patients,’ he said.