Multifocal Contact Lenses: Turning Conversations Into Conversions

I have been a practicing optometrist for 18 years, and I am a partner at a private practice called Westport Eyecare Associates in Westport, Connecticut, where my colleagues and I provide full-scope optometry. My focus is on contact lenses, ranging from common types such as multifocal contacts to specialty lenses like hard and scleral lenses, as well as orthokeratology and myopia-management lenses. We also have an optical where we sell glasses and sunglasses. Currently, approximately 80% to 85% of our patients use contact lenses, and about 80% of those individuals opt for multifocal contacts. I attribute our success with contact lens sales to both the performance of new contact lens technologies and our team’s dedication to patient education about them, which we do on an ongoing basis.

My team and I are fortunate to work in an affluent area where patients expect a premium service experience and support our adoption of the latest medical advancements and the best treatments available. Contact lenses, for example, have received impressive upgrades in recent years. We are using lenses with WaterInnovations technology (Alcon), lenses with ProBalance technology (Bausch + Lomb), as well as other new innovations coming to market in the contact lens space. I am fortunate to have wonderful relationships with my contact lens representatives, who continually ensure that ours is among the first practices to receive any new technology coming to market.

Because the rate of presbyopia increases yearly,¹ I like to remind patients at every visit of the benefits multifocal contact lenses offer. I showcase the new technology available, and I let them know that I am ready to fit them for lenses when they are ready.

Conversations: Talking About Presbyopia With Patients

Beginning the conversation with patients about presbyopia can be challenging, particularly with new patients who don’t know what to expect from me as a provider. My approach with existing patients is slightly different, as we’ve already built that doctor-patient relationship, and I have a better understanding of their vision journey (see the sidebar, Dr. Yu’s Key Talking Points About Multifocal Contact Lenses).

With all patients, I’ll mention that the technology of contact lenses keeps getting better, and that we have many great lens options, including very comfortable daily disposables, even for treating astigmatism and presbyopia. Because many people tend to equate these lenses with progressive glasses or bifocals and become uneasy, I’ll stress how different the wearing experience is with multifocal contacts compared to their experiences with glasses. Many times, patients may not commit to trying a multifocal contact lens during that first visit, but in subsequent visits after they have given our discussions more thought, I can see them becoming more serious about wanting to improve their vision and their lives. Sometimes, I will use loose trial lenses to show patients how much clearer their vision could be with multifocal contacts, if they are still hesitant to try them. I find that 90% to 95% of presbyopic patients who are progressing to the point of visual support are open to trying multifocal trial lenses.

I also try to remind patients that these lenses can just be used for social situations or exercising as needed. Even if they wear multifocal contacts once or twice a month, they will experience their convenience. I advocate for patients to have multifocal contact lenses in their arsenal, along with prescription glasses and sunglasses, because having the flexibility to choose depending on the situational need is important.

Patient Education: Planting the Seed of Interest in Multifocal Contact Lenses

Educating patients about their vision improvement options is so important, and it starts from the first phone call when the patient makes an appointment. In the office, we give all our patients an intake form that asks questions about specific lifestyle needs or habits our patients may have. During the workup process, our office technicians will ask follow-up questions to this form, and during this discussion, they will also plant a seed about multifocal contacts if appropriate and will record that in the patient’s chart.

I occasionally use supplemental materials in the examination room to demonstrate the benefits of multifocal lenses to patients. I will also give them an informational sheet I created that explains everything they need to know about these lenses and the adaptation process, which is one of the strongest points I try to convey. This process is not just adaptation between the eye and the lens, it’s also a brain adaptation. The brain has to learn to use the powers in the optics, and sometimes this can take anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks, so I reiterate patience throughout this adaptation process.

Fitting the Appropriate Technology to the Patient’s Needs

First and foremost, I believe it’s important for us as clinicians to find out as much as we can about our patients and their specific needs. Every patient has unique lifestyle and visual needs, especially in this day and age where people are working from home more often and may not need to wear contacts every day. I also think it’s important that we, as practitioners, show confidence and enthusiasm in the products we offer patients, because they can feel it. Our confidence in our corrective solutions helps patients trust our recommendations. We’re excited to fit patients with multifocal lenses, and we want them to experience how this option can change their lives.

The recent technological advancements in contact lenses, and particularly for multifocal lenses, are amazing. The multifocal optics have greatly improved in recent years, and most of my patients report that they experience an excellent quality of vision with few side effects. Furthermore, we are fortunate to have a variety of products that fit different ocular needs from which we practitioners can tailor our treatment approaches for each individual patient.

1. US Census Bureau, Population Division. 2017 National Population Projections Tables: Detailed age and sex composition of the population, 2017-2060. Available at: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2017/demo/popproj/2017-summary-tables.html. Accessed January 6, 2025.