title: International survey of contact lens prescribing for extended wear.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the extent of extended wear (EW) contact lens prescribing worldwide and to characterize the associated demographics and fitting patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Up to 1000 survey forms were sent to contact lens fitters in up to 39 countries between January and March every year for five consecutive years (2006-2010). Practitioners were asked to record data relating to the first 10 contact lens fits or refits performed after receiving the survey form. Survey data collected since 1997 was also analyzed to assess EW fitting trends since that time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Details for lens modality were received for 107,094 rigid and soft lens fits of which 88,392 were for soft lens daily wear (DW) and 7470 were for soft lens EW. Overall, EW represents 7.8% of all soft lens fits, ranging from 0.6% in Malaysia to 27% Norway. Compared with DW fittings, EW fittings can be characterized as follows: older age (32.7 ± 13.6 vs. 29.4 ± 12.0 years for DW); males are over-represented; greater proportion of refits; 72% silicone hydrogel; higher proportion of presbyopia and spherical designs; and higher proportion of monthly lens replacement. Of those wearing EW lenses, 80% use multipurpose solutions, whereas 9% do not use any care system. Between 1997 and 1999, the rate of EW prescribing decreased from 5 to 1% of all soft lens fits; it increased to a peak of 12% in 2006, and settled back to 8% by 2010.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EW prescribing has failed to break through the "glass ceiling" of 15% and is unlikely to become a mainstream lens wearing modality until the already low risks of ocular complications can be reduced to be equivalent to that for DW.
authors.affiliation: FAAO Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Efron
authors.forename: Philip B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003261:Contact Lenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D009907:Optometry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies