Word from the Street: Episode 2 Out Now

Episode two of Johnson & Johnson’s 10-part video series, which address common beliefs and misconceptions about fitting multifocal soft contact lenses (MFSCLs), is now available.

With a light-hearted yet insightful approach, in ‘Word from the street: Multifocal myths explored’, Adam Samuels and Kerry Ho – optometrists and professional education consultants at Johnson & Johnson – challenge thinking around MFSCL fitting and long-term patient care, offering you clinical insights with practical tips and ready-to-use resources.

Spectacles vs Multifocal Contact Lenses

Many practitioners assume spectacles give better vision than multifocal contact lenses. Episode two – ‘Do spectacles provide superior vision to multifocal contact lenses?’ –reframes this as a nuance rather than a hard rule.

“While spectacles may deliver the sharpest chart acuity in some scenarios, multifocal contacts often provide superior functional vision and quality of life for active patients,” Mr Samuels suggests. Mr Ho agrees, noting: “It’s not just about 6/6; multifocal contacts can deliver superior functional vision for many patients.”

Key Takeaways

• Visual acuity vs functional vision: Snellen chart results like 6/6 don’t capture how patients use their vision in real life.¹
• Context matters: long sessions at a computer may favour spectacles for sustained near clarity; activities like motorcycling, gym training, sports, and hands-on tasks often favour contact lenses.^2-4
• Modern lenses have improved dramatically: newer multifocal soft contact lenses are designed to deliver better optics, comfort and broader usable fields of view compared with older designs.³
• Patient-centred choice: outcomes depend on lifestyle, visual priorities and task demands, not a single “best” correction for everyone.^1,3

Practical Tips for Practice

• Ask about daily activities and hobbies up-front (screen time, sports, driving, manual tasks).
• Offer MFSCL trials for real-world assessment, patients may convert once they experience the benefits.
• Offer blended solutions: spectacles for prolonged near work and multifocal contacts for active or occupational needs.
• Frame success around function and quality of life, not just chart numbers.

So, What’s The Verdict?

Spectacles aren’t universally superior. When you match correction to patient lifestyle and goals, multifocal contacts may outperform spectacles in everyday function and patient satisfaction.

Disclaimer: This content is intended for health care professionals only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual/s based on their personal experience. The clinical advice contained in this video is not a substitute for proper medical education and training or the exercise of independent health care professional judgement. Each situation should be considered unique to each patient, and all treatments should be individualised accordingly based on the respective health care professional’s judgement.

References

1. Bennett CR, Bex PJ, Bauer CM, Merabet LB. The assessment of visual function and functional vision. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2019 Oct;31:30-40. doi: 10.1016/j.spen.2019.05.006.
2. Fogt JS, Weisenberger K, Fogt N. Visual performance with multifocal contact lenses and progressive addition spectacles. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2022 Aug;45(4):101472. doi: 10.1016/j.clae.2021.101472.
3. Remón L, Pérez-Merino P, González-Méijome JM, et al. Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses for presbyopia and myopia control. J Ophthalmol. 2020;2020:8067657. doi: 10.1155/2020/8067657.
4. Chu BS, Wood JM, Collins MJ. Effect of presbyopic vision corrections on perceptions of driving difficulty. Eye Contact Lens. 2009;35(3):133-143. doi: 10.1097/ICL.0b013e3181a1435e.