Patient compliance and its influence on contact lens wearing problems.

One hundred consecutively presenting patients, fifty from each of two contact lens clinics, were questioned about the procedures encountered in care and maintenance of their contact lenses and asked to demonstrate their use of those procedures. Their clinic records were then analyzed for the occurrence of signs and symptoms that were related potentially to noncompliance with instructions and procedures, and that could not be otherwise explained. Only 26% of patients were fully complaint. Noncompliance with instructions was related strongly to the occurrence of signs and symptoms indicative of potential wearing problems. Improvements in the level of patient compliance with instructions is likely to bring about increased patient success with contact lens wearing.