Practice Metrics

How Many of Your Patients Have Tried Eyewear for Digital Media?

Computer eyewear is still an untapped resource for the majority of respondents to The Vision Council’s VisionWatch Digital Eye Fatigue report. Special eyewear for use with digital media has been tried by just 8 percent of respondents. Most respondents to the report who experienced digital eye strain issues have changed their sitting position (58 percent) and/or looked away from the screen (51 percent) to reduce discomfort. Less than a third have gone further by changing their lighting (32 percent) or modifying their work station (31 percent).

Respondents using digital media primarily for work or for over six hours a day, who likely experience issues more frequently, report trying the listed solutions more commonly. Work users especially are more likely than others to have changed their workstation to alleviate discomfort, with 42 percent reporting
having done so.

The use of digital media is increasing significantly not only in the workplace but also during leisure activities. There is definitely increased usage of smartphones, tablets, digital books, surfing the net, gaming, blogging, Facebook, texting … patients are spending more and more time looking at little screens.
Remember that our eyes do best seeing movement in the distance. Our eyes were built to see the rabbit move in the bush. But, we are no longer hunting and gathering in the forest; instead, we are hunting and gathering on small two-dimensional screens up close. We are forcing our eyes to do activities for which they were not designed to do well. As a result, we have symptomatic patients.

What is the most significant number from the Digital Eye Fatigue report? Only 8 percent have special eyewear for use with digital media. The question for us to explore is how do we increase this number to help improve the quality of our patients’ lives?

Here’s a three-point action plan to do a better job:

1. Place questions on the pre-examination history questionnaire focusing on this area.
2. The doctor in the exam room must prescribe lenses for digital near activities.
3. In the optical, there should be several packaged lens options for digital near activities.

To Top
Subscribe Today for Free...
And join more than 35,000 optometric colleagues who have made Review of Optometric Business their daily business advisor.