Communicating information is a key factor in making contact lenses a successful part of your practice. One of the best ways to ensure that patients have received all the information they need -- and will remember it -- is to provide written patient consent forms and instruction sheets.

If you provide your patients with complete written information about how to manage their lenses:

• they won't be calling your office because they forgot your instructions
• they'll be more likely to use their lenses correctly
• they'll know which problems require your assistance and which ones don't
• they'll be more likely to return for follow-up visits.

In addition, you'll be legally protected if a serious problem should occur.

Handouts for this purpose are available from a number of sources; we purchase ours through HMI Practice Resource Catalog. However, you always have the option of creating your own handouts specific to your practice.

An effective patient information/informed consent sheet should include:

• Specific care instructions.
New patients often forget how they're supposed to insert, remove and disinfect their lenses. Yes, multipurpose solutions have made things simpler, but this is still a problem. (Also, some patients require a more complicated regimen such as one involving hydrogen peroxide.) Complete standard instructions -- as well as any special instructions -- should be on the sheet. In fact, I've found it helpful to provide a separate sheet that uses words and pictures to illustrate insertion, removal and cleaning of the lenses. (For a sample, see page 32.)
• Which solution the patient should use
. Don't send your patients out to Wal-Mart and say, "Pick something." Instruct them to use whatever product you feel is the best for their needs. (Making this recommendation also tells patients that you're a professional and enhances the value of your services.)
• A specific wearing schedule.
If you want your patient to start at 2 or 3 hours and then go to 4 or 5 hours, make sure it's on the sheet. Having this in writing is the best way to ensure compliance and a successful outcome.
• Which problems are serious and which aren't.
Patients should know that it's normal to have a little foreign body sensation when first wearing the lenses. They should be aware that a little redness on insertion is OK, but if the redness doesn't go away, or if they're getting discharge from the eye, the lenses should be removed. The instruction sheet should list both general and specific problems and their significance.
• What procedure to follow if a serious problem occurs.
This should include how to get in touch with you and what to do if the office is closed.
• The date of the next appointment, along with reasons that it's important for the patient to return.
Make sure the patient knows that contact lenses need to be monitored, so he doesn't just walk out of the office and return 6 years later.

Once you've filled out the form, make sure the patient signs and dates it. Keep a copy of it In Your Chart.

Our practice provides two different informed consent sheets (one for soft contacts and one for rigid gas permeable [RGP] lenses) that specify solutions, wearing schedule, potential problems and their significance, special instructions and a reminder of the next appointment. We also provide "care and handling" sheets that illustrate how to care for either soft contact lenses or RGPs. (If you'd like to purchase handouts like the ones shown on these pages, you can contact HMI Practice Resource Catalog at [800] 468-4144.)

If you offer your patients contact lenses, I urge you to create (or purchase) forms like these. It's a small price to pay for the benefits they'll produce.

Forms copyright HMI. Reprinted by permission.

Forms copyright HMI. Reprinted by permission.