Delegates to the BCLA’s biennial clinical conference are used to listening to lectures and perusing the posters displaying the latest clinical findings. While that was still on offer Coopervision used the event to turn the spotlight onto the eye care professionals (ECP) by asking them to tell their own tales and be recognised as heroes.
Heath Clash, head of marketing and communications, EU said Coopervision was looking to raise the issues of myopia, hypoxia and drop out. While part of that could be achieved through research, science and innovation Coopervision also wanted to recognise the role the ECP played in practice too. ‘We just want to elevate the life-changing work that ECPs do and we thought what better place to do it [than the BCLA]? We are inviting ECPs to come to our stand and share their stories in our video booth about the work they do and the difference that makes.’
Mark Draper, director of marketing and national accounts said the idea was also to enthuse and remind other practitioners about the effect their work had on patients. ‘The heroes piece is based on the life-changing effect contact lenses can have. Research last year looked at the difference CLs can have on self-confidence and the emotional benefits, this is about the difference ECP recommendations are making every week.’ The heroes video booth materials will be used on the website and in social media to enthuse other ECPs, said Draper, and is an extension to the firm’s ‘Stories From the Chair’ project. These are hosted on the website to be shared and enthuse other ECPs.
Elizabeth Lumb
Elizabeth Lumb, professional services head of Misight said ECPs remember vividly those special fits where the patient’s life has been transformed. ‘Practitioners don’t always get the pat on the back they deserve because it’s all happening behind closed doors,’ she adds.
‘With things like myopia management it can be a leap of faith,’ said Marcella McParland, director of professional affairs for the EMEA. ‘This is encouraging them to engage and go a little deeper and make them remember why they do what they do and why they make a difference. Thinking beyond the product and onto the difference it can make to patients.’
Lumb said the first Stories From the Chair concerning the use of Misight for myopia control (MC) had already been added and offered a powerful fillip to other practitioners. At the BCLA Coopervision was sharing the five-year results from its major study on myopia control and the efficacy of its MC lens Misight.
The results of the five year data builds on the three year data revealed at the last BCLA. The three-year data looked at a Misight test group and a control group, from these myopia and axial length measurement were taken. ‘Phase one lasted three years and showed Misight slowing myopia compared with the control group. After phase one the control group were able to switch into Misight, the report revealed how the rates within that group improved.
‘As the two groups are now wearing Misight we are now able to look at the rate of change among those two groups. There was a pretty dramatic change in the rate of progression of both refractive error and axial length in the cormer control group that can’t be explained by natural slowing down.’
Because it was so significant, she said, Coopervision is making the assumption that there was a myopia control effect. ‘The conclusion of the results of this data tells us that age is the most compounding factor and not the starting prescription or axial length, that helps us to define what happens next with myopia control.’ This shows that older children have not missed the chance to benefit from Misight but the younger they start the better the results. ‘The study shows that those children from 11 to 15 are still getting benefit from Misight and that’s a great news story,’ said Lumb.
‘It’s myopia management in everyday practice,’ says Draper. ‘You don’t need any specialist equipment. We offer a one hour training session to understand the data and communicate it. If you can fit a daily disposable lens you can fit Misight.’ He said feedback indicated good physiological response and good vision.
Marcella McParland
Oxygen transmission issues with contact lenses should be a thing of the past but hypoxia featured as another theme for Coopervision at the BCLA. McParland said Coopervision was looking into the data behind the fact that while eight out of 10 reusable wearers will be in a silicone hydrogel lens when they are switched to a daily modality only four out of 10 will be in a silicone hydrogel. ‘We wanted to get to the bottom of that and really challenge ECPs.’ She said while ECPs fully understand the benefits of Sihi they may, perhaps, be making cost decisions on behalf of their patients. This is despite research showing cost is not an issue for patients. In effect upgrading the modality but downgrading the material. Patients will respond to practitioner recommendation but they also want the data and they want to make that decision themselves. McParland said the latest data showed the reasoning behind practitioner action is indeed the cost to the patient or that ECPs don’t feel the patient wears the lenses long enough to warrant a Sihi material. ‘That’s not really a good reason not to be offering the best,’ she added.
One of the biggest challenges in the contact lens market is the high number of people who drop out of wear each year. Despite this, said Draper, those ex-wearers still associate contact lenses with all the benefits you get from contact lenses – freedom and self-confidence. ‘We have done a lot of research into why people drop out we know in the first few weeks it’s generally application and removal, people are not leaving their teaching appointment confident.’ People are struggling because they feel at fault and they are not being followed up quickly enough. Longer term drop outs centre around comfort and vision and Coopervision has been working with ECPs and consumers on tackling all of these issues. This has resulted in training for front of house teams, CET, help with teach- ins and encouraging ECPs to call new wearers to check on the progress. Tools that have resulted are Contact Lens Coach which provides a link to videos online that support the teaching done in practice.
McParland said that people tend to struggle with their lenses first thing in the morning and last thing at night when practices are closed so videos can provide a timely and accessible support resource and stop people simply going to YouTube and viewing unsuitable material. She points to data showing that out of every 10 potential wearers six are not making it through to longer term wear. The way Coopervision wants to tackle this is through tools for front of house, ECP and patient.
‘It’s about trying to change behaviours,’ said Draper. ‘To understand the emotional motivations for the patient and the effect on the practice as well to motivate them to make that follow up. We are working on piloting things to make that easier for them as well.’ This would be a system which would automatically send the follow up to the patient so the practice does not have to do it manually. ‘So we are working on all sorts of things that will be interactive with the patient and send feedback to the practice, that’s all work in progress.’
McParland said it is the enthusiasm of the ECP which is often crucial and makes the difference. This enthusiasm and follow through is actually more important than the quality of the teach in. ‘Working with the patient, allowing them to fail and return to the practice. Some ECPs may not be listening but if they were listening they could really improve the attrition rate we see,’ she said.
The range of lenses available continues to grow and Coopervision also wants to see ECPs making patients aware of the option to change or upgrade. Draper said reviewing lens wear so the patient is given options and understands that there are many lenses, designs and materials that they could try is crucial.
‘Research among consumers shows they want to see three factors when being fitted: the health of the eye, lifestyle and lens technology. All of those factors could change. ‘When you fit someone with lenses rather than saying: “this is the best lens for you” and the patient stops getting on with that lens and may think that’s it, why not say: “this is the lens we recommend we start you with today, but if it isn’t right we do have other lenses”, let them know that there are other options available.’