WATERLOO, Ontario—The latest issue of Contact Lens Update, now available for free from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), consolidates conclusions from the new British Contact Lens Association’s (BCLA) Contact Lens Evidence-based Academic Reports (CLEAR) initiative into an easy-to-read summary for contact lens practitioners. CLEAR author and BCLA certificate program lead Dr. Manbir Nagra wrote the new issue’s editorial. She identifies common themes across the reports, highlights how to interpret scientific publications, examines the evidence base for several widely held beliefs, and looks to the future of contact lens practice, according to a recent announcement about the new issue of Contact Lens Update.

“CLEAR brought together 10 committees and more than 100 authors from 16 countries to produce 300 pages of scientific review,” Karen Walsh, CORE’s education team leader and editor of Contact Lens Update, said in the announcement. “This covered all aspects of contact lens practice, from routine fitting through to specialty lenses, management of complications, and future technology.”

She added, “Our BCLA-commissioned summary of all 10 sub-reports extracts and explains the insights most relevant for clinical practice in one simple guide. This will become a frequent reference for eyecare professionals wanting to implement the latest standards in contact lenses while remaining abreast of forthcoming trends and opportunities.”

The CLEAR sub-report summary promotes best practice, evidence-based procedures and clinical decision making for contact lens patients. Found in the issue’s Feature Article section, each five-minute read provides an overview of key takeaways by topic and a link to the comprehensive open access paper for further reading. Multiple CORE scientists authored the original reports; they joined other CORE staff and global collaborators in developing the new condensed guidance.

Insights from CORE senior research scientist Dr. Sarah Guthrie are shared in the “Conference Highlight” section. Presented at the 2021 BCLA Clinical Conference & Exhibition, her work with multifocal soft contact lenses explores the link between comfort and vision performance, reminding eyecare professionals of the importance of optimizing both elements to help enhance the wearing experience.

“It’s a lovely coincidence that Issue #60 of Contact Lens Update is being published during the 60th anniversary of soft contact lens pioneer Otto Wichterle creating the very first hydrogel lenses in his kitchen. The CLEAR series paints a fascinating portrait of how far we have come in the past six decades, and the breathtaking developments on the horizon,” Dr. Walsh noted.

Published six times per year, Contact Lens Update provides a global platform for unbiased clinical insights based in current research. Since 2011, each issue has provided dependable and up-to-date ocular health information for more than 60,000 leading eyecare professionals.

The publication receives support from the educational arms of Alcon, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.