Contact lens practice in India: practitioner-reported challenges, barriers, and strategies for improvement

Contact lenses offer effective refractive, cosmetic, and therapeutic options; however, their safe and successful use requires addressing barriers at the practitioner, patient, and healthcare system levels. Identifying and understanding these challenges are essential to improving clinical outcomes, enhancing patient satisfaction, and supporting broader global adoption.

Despite advancements in contact lens materials and designs, adoption rates in India remain constrained by discontinuation, affordability issues, and low public awareness. This study aimed to evaluate common challenges, barriers to contact lens uptake, and strategies implemented by practitioners across India.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among contact lens practitioners across six Indian zones (North, South, East, West, Central, and North-East) between January and May 2025. A structured questionnaire, assessed challenges in contact lens practice, barriers to uptake, and improvement strategies. Responses were recorded on a 5-point numerical scale. Data were analysed, employing descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis tests to evaluate regional differences.

A total of 338 (96.5%) out of 350 practitioners completed the survey. Limited availability of trial lenses and high material costs were the most frequently reported challenges (median score: 3/5, IQR: 2.0-4.0). Key barriers to contact lens uptake included lack of awareness (median: 3/5, IQR: 2.0-4.0), discomfort-related dropout (median: 3/5, IQR: 2.0-4.0), and unsupervised online purchases (median: 3/5, IQR: 2.0-5.0). High consensus was observed for improvement strategies, with practitioner education, patient awareness initiatives, affordability, and proactive contact lens recommendations scoring a median of 4/5, IQR: 3.0-5.0. No statistically significant regional differences were found (p > 0.05).

Indian contact lens practitioners face consistent challenges nationwide, with affordability, trial lens availability, and public awareness identified as primary concerns. Practitioner-driven education, patient counselling, and affordability measures are essential to enhancing contact lens practice and promoting the safe and wider adoption of contact lenses in India.