During my three-year involvement with the Optical Consumer Complaints Service (OCCS) I have often reflected on the relatively low level of complaints passing over my desk that relate to contact lens wear. Indeed when reporting on annual statistics I have often mentioned this as the most surprising element in the data.
Given there are some four million contact lens wearers in the UK, the fact that the OCCS only dealt with 54 contact lens issues last year – from a total of almost 1,000 complaints – is a remarkable statistic (OCCS Annual report 2015-16). Bearing in mind many of these complaints relate to ‘transactional’ issues around direct debit payments, delivery times, and a number of queries involved the provision of a contact lens specification and the definition of when fitting is completed, this low level of complaints is a huge compliment to the profession – or is it?
When asked about this under representation I have hypothesised that most contact lens-related concerns never get to the OCCS as I believe the very different, and more personal, nature of the patient-practitioner relationship facilitates the resolution of issues in the consulting room and as such preclude escalation. This belief was challenged when I read the GOC commissioned 2015 Contact Lens Survey by BMG Research. More than 2,000 lens wearers were surveyed to find out what they really think about their lenses and what they understand about the dos and don’ts of lens wear.
The insights from this detailed research, when combined with industry estimates that circa 700,000 contact lens wearers stop wearing their lenses every year, forced me to re-evaluate my interpretation. The harsh reality may be that contact lens wearers have two choices – and unfortunately despite the phenomenal advances in lens technology, 18% of our most valuable customers chose to simply stop wearing their lenses every year.
The commercial issue here is that these are our most valuable clients and any marketing professional will tell us that retention of existing customers is much cheaper than recruitment of new ones. However, I believe the real tragedy is that in fitting contact lenses we positively change people’s lives and the fact that 18% choose to opt out of this positive experience should concern us all. I would argue that fitting contact lenses in terms of positive impact our profession has on the society we serve is second only to sight saving interventions we make in referral.
So what should we do?
My first piece of advice would be to suggest every eye care professional visits the GOC website and downloads the BMG research report. Relax! I do not for one minute expect we should read all 88 pages but I would suggest the Executive Summary sections 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 on pages four, five and six are worth 10 minutes of your time.
In reading this data-rich section covering purchasing behaviour (what motivates wearers), eye tests, check ups and aftercare advice you will no doubt pick up on your own killer statistic. However, my reflections in this section range from the disappointingly poor compliance that many wearers report in providing a contact lens specification (it is the law, no ifs, no buts) through to the hugely positive perception of wearers to aftercare advice with 48% finding it very useful and a further 47% quite useful. It is perhaps therefore no surprise that the single biggest reason a wearer stays loyal to their high street practice is you, with 23% of wearers citing this as their primary driver. Then finally back to the biggest reason to be fearful.
Just over three-quarters of respondents have experienced at least one problem in relation to wearing their lenses – ranging from dryness, sore eyes thorough to more serious complications. This is our early warning system and we need to recognise these symptoms as the first stage in what could ultimately lead to cessation of wear. How we respond to these early signs and take action to establish the cause and advise accordingly can prevent more serious issues in the future.
2015 Contact Lens Survey commissioned by the GOC
Perhaps the most sobering piece in the research can be found in figure 45, pictured on the page opposite. Wearers were asked to review the BCLA advice on safe contact lens wear and rate their own level of awareness of a particular issue and also their level of compliance.
This data should provide all contact lens practitioners with some key insights regarding the areas of contact lens wear that are most likely to be awry. The gap between awareness and compliance for factors relating to water are stark. In addition to this synopsis in figure 45 the research goes on to illustrate significant disparity in compliance by age and socio-economic factors – again a key insight for the practitioner to consider in their approach to aftercare advice – paradoxically the longest standing wearers are the least likely to be compliant.
So what?
Within the research are reasons to be fearful – the disparity in awareness versus compliance with some critical factors around lens care should make us all reflect on how effectively we land the key messages. There are, however, reasons to be cheerful – lens wearers value the advice we give, moreover they are clear that you, their eye care practitioner, are the biggest driver of loyalty. This is a double-edged sword. It gives you the opportunity to influence behaviour but also the responsibility to effectively communicate key messages to close the gap between awareness and compliance.
The GOC campaign to encourage lens wearers to Love Your Lenses has at its heart a reminder to not lose sight of your optician. If I reflect on the contact lens complaints I see at the OCCS there is often a point in the journey when the wearer has disconnected from the advice or guidance they would have or should have received.
In order to reduce complaints, dropouts and serious clinical complications it is timely for each of us to reflect on how effective we are at landing these key messages with wearers.
Richard Edwards is the owner of Optomise Consulting, clinical adviser to the OCCS and works on a consultancy basis with the GOC and FODO.