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Key Takeaways:
- Grow your contact lens practice through personalized patient care. Create a memorable patient experience that builds trust, strengthens loyalty, and supports long-term contact lens practice growth.
- Identify more first-time contact lens wearers. Ask lifestyle-focused questions to uncover opportunities, introduce contact lens options, and help patients discover vision solutions that fit their daily needs.
- Improve contact lens fitting success with advanced technology and education. Leverage ACUVUE Eye-Inspired Designs, personalized prescribing, and insertion and removal training to build patient confidence and improve the contact lens patient journey.
What if one of the greatest opportunities to grow a contact lens practice is already sitting in the exam chair? Some patients arrive specifically requesting contact lenses, while others have never considered how they might fit into their daily lives.
On the Defocus Media Podcast, Dr. Darryl Glover speaks with Dr. Sophia Visanji, founder of KUONA in New York City, about how an intentional contact lens patient journey can turn everyday appointments into opportunities for personalized care, clinical innovation, and lasting relationships. From welcoming first-time wearers to introducing advanced contact lens technology, their conversation offers practical strategies for improving the patient experience while building a stronger practice.
Creating an Exceptional Patient Experience That Builds Trust and Loyalty
For Dr. Visanji, the patient journey begins before the eye examination. Inspired by luxury hospitality, she designed KUONA to provide a welcoming, comfortable, and memorable experience. Patients are greeted with beverages, surrounded by carefully selected scents and music, and guided through an environment that combines modern clinical technology with personalized eyewear styling.
Her predominantly millennial patient base connects with nostalgic music, including 1990s R&B. The atmosphere has become such a recognizable part of the practice that patients have mentioned the music and scent in online reviews.
Dr. Glover emphasizes that these details extend beyond aesthetics. A thoughtful patient experience creates opportunities to build trust, understand individual needs, and develop meaningful relationships. When patients feel comfortable and understood, conversations about new vision solutions become more natural.
This approach establishes the foundation for a successful contact lens patient journey, where personalized care begins with understanding the person behind the prescription.
Identifying First-Time Contact Lens Wearers Through Meaningful Conversations
One of the greatest opportunities for contact lens practice growth involves recognizing patients who may benefit from contact lenses but have never asked about them.
Dr. Visanji explains that some patients arrive specifically interested in contact lenses, while others may not realize they are candidates. Rather than waiting for patients to initiate the conversation, she explores their routines, interests, and visual demands to identify opportunities.
A patient who enjoys pickleball, travels frequently, or attends special events may appreciate the flexibility of contact lenses. Others may be interested in occasional wear rather than replacing their glasses entirely.
Dr. Glover reinforces the importance of asking thoughtful questions that reveal these opportunities. Understanding how patients spend their days lets optometrists introduce contact lenses as a relevant lifestyle solution rather than just another product.
“As eye care professionals, if we're not curious and asking the right questions, how can we provide the right solutions?” — Dr. Darryl Glover
For first-time contact lens wearers, the goal is not to persuade patients to purchase lenses. It is to educate them about options they may not have considered and help them determine whether contact lenses align with their needs.
Personalizing Contact Lens Care With ACUVUE Eye-Inspired Innovations
Once a patient’s needs are understood, selecting the appropriate contact lens becomes the next step. Dr. Visanji describes how ACUVUE contact lenses from Johnson & Johnson Vision help her personalize recommendations based on comfort, visual demands, and preferred replacement schedules.
For new contact lens wearers, she frequently begins with ACUVUE® OASYS with HydraLuxe Technology. She emphasizes that comfort during an initial fitting does not necessarily predict how a lens will perform several hours later, so the patient’s overall wearing experience is an important consideration.
For existing wearers who spend significant time using digital devices, ACUVUE® OASYS MAX 1-Day provides another option. Patients who prefer monthly replacement lenses may benefit from considering ACUVUE® VITA®.
The conversation also explores patients with more complex visual needs, including astigmatism and presbyopia. Both doctors highlight ACUVUE® OASYS MAX 1-Day MULTIFOCAL for ASTIGMATISM as an important addition to their prescribing options.
Dr. Visanji discusses how Johnson & Johnson Vision’s ACUVUE Eye-Inspired Designs, including pupil-optimized multifocal technology, support personalized fitting. She also highlights the ACUVUE fitting calculator and the importance of accurate refractive correction, sensory dominance, and functional near addition.
With a structured fitting approach, she reports greater success on the first or second visit. These tools can reduce unnecessary adjustments and give practitioners more confidence when introducing multifocal contact lenses.
The broader lesson is that technology delivers the greatest value when it is matched to the patient’s individual needs.
Building Confidence With Contact Lens Insertion and Removal Training
Introducing contact lenses to a first-time wearer involves more than achieving clear vision. Patients must also feel comfortable handling their lenses independently.
Dr. Visanji encourages patients to review educational videos before their appointments and provides hands-on instruction using different insertion and removal techniques. Her team works with patients until they can successfully insert and remove their lenses twice before leaving the practice.
Dr. Glover describes a complementary approach. During the examination, he places contact lenses on patients himself, evaluates their vision and fit, and allows them to experience their corrected vision before transitioning them to a technician for training.
Both approaches recognize that confidence is an essential part of the contact lens patient journey. By preparing patients, offering reassurance, and allowing time to practice, eye care teams can help new wearers overcome uncertainty and develop the skills needed for successful independent wear.
Strengthening Patient Relationships and Driving Contact Lens Practice Growth
A successful contact lens experience does not end when the fitting is complete. Clear communication about purchasing options, insurance benefits, and ongoing lens needs helps patients make informed decisions.
Dr. Visanji encourages doctors to discuss annual contact lens supplies before patients leave the examination room. She explains available manufacturer rebates, insurance benefits, and potential cost differences between smaller purchases and annual supplies.
When patients compare prices with online retailers, she welcomes the conversation. Rather than avoiding questions about cost, she reviews options openly and helps patients understand the value of purchasing through their eye care provider.
Dr. Glover connects this transparency to the trust established throughout the examination. When doctors understand their patients and communicate clearly, conversations about ACUVUE contact lenses, annual supplies, and pricing become a natural extension of personalized care.
Ultimately, improving the contact lens patient journey is about more than introducing new technology or increasing the number of fittings. It involves creating memorable experiences, identifying opportunities for first-time wearers, personalizing prescriptions, and building confidence through education.
As Dr. Visanji reminds her colleagues, the key is to “stay curious.” Sometimes, one thoughtful question can introduce a patient to an entirely new way of seeing while creating the foundation for a lasting relationship.
Explore more conversations on clinical innovation, patient experience, and practice growth at Defocus Media.
