JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Wearers of monthly replacement contact lenses notice a decline in lens performance in the third and fourth weeks of wear, a new survey sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (NYSE: JNJ) indicates.

Findings from the research--which surveyed monthly CL wearers in France, with 20 different brands of lenses represented--show a decrease in wearing comfort over the course of a month, according to the company, with no significant differences between wearers of hydrogel and silicone hydrogel monthly replacement lenses.

Seventy-one percent of monthly silicone hydrogel CL wearers and 68 percent of hydrogel lens wearers reported a decrease in wearing comfort as the month progressed, according to the survey. And 95 percent of respondents said they become aware of discomfort in weeks three and four. Monthly silicone hydrogel wearers who experienced discomfort tended to notice it earlier in the lens cycle than hydrogel wearers.

“The key to success with any patient centers around selecting the appropriate lens, replacement frequency and wearing modality that best fits his/her lifestyle needs,” said Sheila Hickson-Curran, director, medical affairs, for J&J Vision Care’s Vistakon division. “This study suggests that eyecare practitioners should consider questioning their monthly replacement CL wearers specifically on whether comfort performance meets their needs in the third and fourth weeks of wear.”

The survey also queried CL wearers about their perceptions of the ECP’s role in communicating the benefits of contact lens innovations. Eighty-one percent said they expect their doctor to recommend an upgrade on comfort grounds, and three quarters said they would consider seeing their ECP more often if he or she would proactively propose lenses that would give them better comfort.

The online survey was conducted last October and November. Data was analyzed for 434 existing CL wearers who completed the survey; of these, 271 were wearing monthly replacement hydrogel lenses and 163 wore monthly silicone hydrogel lenses.