A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF EDUCATION ON NONCOMPLIANT BEHAVIOR IN CONTACT-LENS WEAR

The contact lens practitioner and patient present a specific case for the study of non-compliance in areas such as hygiene, solution use, ap pointment attendance and wearing times. Education is one of the factor s thought to influence compliance among patients in general health car e situations and contact lens practitioners are encouraged to educate patients in the care and maintenance of contact lenses. A prospective, randomized, controlled and double masked study was performed to asses s the effect of a 'compliance enhancement strategy' on levels of compl iance among contact lens wearers over twelve months. Eighty experience d contact lens patients were randomly allocated to two experimental gr oups. A standard level of contact lens instruction was applied to the first group and in addition the compliance enhancement strategy was ap plied to patients assigned to the second group. The strategy consisted of extra education for patients using a video, booklets, posters, a c hecklist and a health care contract. Patients were given free supplies of ReNu multipurpose solution and Medalist 38 soft contact lenses (Ba usch and Lomb, Rochester, New York). Compliance levels were assessed a t a twelve month aftercare appointment by demonstration and questionna ire. The results indicate that the compliance enhancement strategy had little significant effect on the compliance levels of the patients to whom it was applied. The population of contact lens wearers were gene rally very compliant and the contact lenses and care regimen were clin ically successful. The possibility that the assessment of non-complian ce was not adequately sensitive to highlight small differences in non- compliant behaviour is discussed. The standard level of eduction appli ed to this sample of contact lens patients was adequate to ensure gene rally high levels of compliance with the simple care and maintenance r egimen recommended. (C) 1997 The College of Optometrists.