LONDON, U.K. - New research by Bausch + Lombi, the global eye health company, suggests the UK’s obsession with high-definition (HD) technology could be clouding our vision, with results revealing the nation’s five million contact lens wearers are far more interested in the picture quality of their television sets and digital cameras than the quality of vision of their contact lenses.
Findings from the survey of 2,000 adults showed that UK contact lens wearers, in keeping with the general population, have a huge appetite for HD technology, with nearly 80 percent of wearers reporting owning the latest HD television sets and high-resolution digital cameras; six per cent of lens wearers even admitting to buying a new TV every six months to a year. However, the trend for owning the latest HD picture technology doesn’t translate to an increased interest in contact lens vision.
While nine out of 10 lens wearers reported spending large amounts of their time researching and deliberating on which HD products they buy, over half (56 percent) taking two days and over a third (35 percent) taking as long as a week, when it came to the quality of their own vision the majority of lens wearers (69 percent) spent less than an hour researching which lenses were right for them or would leave the decision entirely to their optometrist.
Nick Dash, Optometric Director at Vision Edge, Loughborough, comments on the findings: “These results show that although people have the ability to analyse the complex information about technology that will help them choose TVs and cameras, this thinking and level of interest just isn’t applied when researching and weighing up the technology of the various contact lenses on offer to them today.”
Today there are new types of contact lenses available to eye care professionals to support patients’ need and appetite for high-definition optics. Bausch + Lomb’s new PureVision®2 contact lenses with High Definition OpticsTM allow wearers to experience rich-contrast, vivid colour and crisp, clear vision even in low-light. PureVision®2 HD contact lenses have an enhanced optical design to reduce spherical aberration, a natural occurrence that can cause objects to appear blurry or hazy, with or without vision correction.
Nick Dash continues: “We know that patients can be daunted by health consultations for many reasons, for instance in optometry common issues such as ‘halos’ and ‘glare’ can often be overlooked simply because the patient doesn’t necessarily recognize the technical terminology used. But across primary care we are seeing a move for patients to become more involved in choices about their health; healthcare professionals are working with patients as partners, encouraging them to take an active interest in their care and treatment, while providing expert advice as necessary.”
“As eye care professionals this is something we also need to embrace; encouraging our patients to take a more active interest in their vision care and giving them access to a wide choice of products to suit their individual needs. Using the example above, instead of talking about halos and glare with patients, why not ask them about specific experience in an everyday language and context – what their visual experience is like watching a movie or sporting event for instance – to get them to participate in the consultation more fully, which can only help to achieve the best outcome.”
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About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare companies in the world. Its core businesses include contact lenses and lens care products, ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments, and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals. Founded in 1853, the company is headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., and employs more than 10,000 people worldwide. Its products are available in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.bausch.com.
iPureVision2 HD survey, 2,000 adult contact lens wearers (August 2011)
