Change in Risk Score and Behaviors of Soft Contact Lens Wearers After Targeted Patient Education.

Objectives: To determine if targeted education can influence the behaviors and scores of soft contact lens (SCL) wearers via the Contact Lens Risk Survey (CLRS).

Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective, case-control study. Cases were symptomatic red eye SCL wearers (age, 18-39 years), and controls were age , sex, and site matched. Participants completed the CLRS and were provided targeted patient education at three time points: baseline, one, and six months. Change in scores and behaviors were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test.

Results: Forty-one cases and 71 controls were analyzed. The mean risk score (mean±SE) from baseline to follow-up improved (reduced) for all participants (-1.96±0.73; P =0.01), mostly driven by the improvement among cases (-2.55±1.32; P =0.05). Case subjects reported a decrease in frequency of wearing lenses while showering (-0.32±0.07; P <0.0001), discarding lens solution (-0.13±0.06; P =0.03), and rinsing lenses with tap water (-0.19±0.08; P =0.02) after targeted education.

Conclusions: Targeted patient education can influence some behaviors of SCL wearers, especially those who experienced a red eye event. Further study is needed to determine how to improve other risk behaviors and whether these changes are sustained long term.