Twice a year, we conduct custom research to uncover these insights, then release highly anticipated industry reports to help eye care professionals build patient relationships and practice revenue.
Our latest CLI data shows soft contact lens patients are significantly more profitable than glasses-only wearers.
A new study from a team of ophthalmic and economics researchers has shown that soft contact lens patients create a sizable practice profitability advantage compared to equivalent glasses-only patients. The upside ranges from 29% to 86% annually, with substantial potential gains over a lifetime of wear.
To calculate the differences, 20 United States-based eye care practices each submitted four years of anonymized data for 30 patients, as well as detailed operations data such as professional fees, chair time, staff compensation, and secondary revenue streams. The resulting average annual customer-level profits across contact lens types are $436 for spheres, $453 for torics, and $485 for multifocals, compared to $244 for single vision and $376 for progressive glasses patients.
Analysis was conducted by Professor Philip Morgan, University of Manchester, Professor Lyndon Jones, CORE / University of Waterloo, and Professors Ash Morgan and John Whitehead, Department of Economics, Appalachian State University. CLI commissioned the study as part of its multi-year See Tomorrow initiative.
The work is the first-ever analysis of contact lens profitability in the U.S. It comes 25 years after publication of the widely cited London Business School “Seeing Things Clearly” study, which looked at the topic in five European markets.
The complete findings will be published later this year as part of a comprehensive CLI See Tomorrow report.
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