Practitioners' analysis of contact lens practice in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND

The aims of this survey were to appraise contact lens practice and care systems used in Hong Kong between March 2007 and February 2008, and to evaluate the attitude of practitioners towards prescribing different types of contact lenses.

METHODS

Questionnaires were sent out to 797 optometrists licensed to fit contact lenses in Hong Kong in March 2008.

RESULTS

The response rate was 27%. About 20% of contact lens patients (as reported by the respondents) were new wearers. Over 90% of contact lens patients were wearing soft contact lenses. Among soft contact lenses, the use of daily disposable and silicone hydrogel lenses had increased from 27% and 3% in 2002 to 37% and 21% in 2008, respectively. Less than 10% were rigid contact lens wearers. For astigmats fitted with soft lenses, only about 46% were fitted with toric lenses. For presbyopes using contact lenses, the majority (57%) were fitted with single vision lenses with over-spectacles, followed by monovision (29%). The most commonly recommended soft lens disinfecting system was multipurpose solution (74%). Less than 20% of the respondents reported confidence in prescribing orthokeratology lenses.

CONCLUSION

Soft contact lenses continued to dominate the contact lens market in Hong Kong, with silicone hydrogel and daily disposable lenses becoming increasingly popular. The use of toric and bifocal lenses was still not popular among practitioners. Multipurpose solutions were still the care systems of choice by practitioners in Hong Kong.