Contact Lenses and COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, we hope this issue finds you healthy and safe. In these uncertain times, it has been great talking with colleagues about how they are slowly starting to ramp up patient care in their practices. Although challenges will be inevitable, what we hear from them makes us think we are at least moving forward, toward doing what we all want to be doing: taking care of patients. In fact, Justin has a great story (below) about patient care that is especially important in our current atmosphere.

I recently examined a patient with severe glaucoma. It was his first time being out of the house in 2 months, and we spent a considerable amount of time talking about his eye condition and all the things he had missed over the past 2 months—his normal walks outside, watching local baseball games, coffee in the mornings with his friends, and church on Sundays. The best part of the visit was when he thanked me for taking the time to put his mind at peace about his glaucoma and for just listening to him talk. He said it was the highlight of his day. It was a great reminder that, regardless of the circumstance—whether before, during, or after COVID-19 or any pandemic—when we are providing eye care for our patients, every minute that we spend with them is quite possibly the most important thing they do that particular day.

This may not ring true for every patient, but the point is to consider the needs of each patient beyond his or her eyes. Take the whole patient into consideration, and keep the big picture in mind.

This May/June issue of Modern Optometry is chock-full of all things contact lenses. Read how to differentiate yourself by specializing in contact lenses, and learn how to keep your contact lens game strong despite changing trends and constant disruptors. The potential risks of contact lens wear during the pandemic is a topic that has been on the minds of many optometrists and their patients. If it’s been on your mind, be sure to read the article about it in this issue. You can also check out the options available for myopia control with multifocal contact lenses and get tips for fitting specialty contact lenses in children.

But wait, there’s more! If scleral lenses are your thing, we have you covered with three articles—one on advanced lens evaluations, one on troubleshooting tips, and another on managing ocular trauma with scleral lenses.

As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times, it can be both reassuring and informative to hear the opinions and experiences of our colleagues. That’s why we have included two special bonus features in this issue. In one, our Editor-in-Chief, Karen Roman, gathered responses from a handful of ODs on what the future holds for our profession after the pandemic. In another, one of MOD’s contributors offers a personal account of how his practice changed in the face of the COVID-19 crisis within the span of roughly 30 days. It’s quite an interesting read.

We wish you all the best as you begin to increase patient care in your practice, and we hope the articles in this issue of Modern Optometry will help you in that process. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at modernOD@bmctoday.com with questions, feedback, or article ideas. Our inbox is always open! And remember—behind the masks that we are all now wearing, the simple kindness of lending your ear could be the highlight of a patient’s day.