NEW YORK—A new national initiative has just launched to explore post-pandemic patient mindsets and to enable eyecare professionals to have productive and relevant conversations with patients. Called the See Tomorrow campaign the program is a comprehensive new professional and consumer initiative from the Contact Lens Institute (CLI), which is accompanied by new insights about how patient psyches surrounding vision, health care and their lives have changed over the course of the pandemic—and the ensuing opportunities for the optometry community. Later this month, there will be the debut of a U.S. consumer marketing campaign. It will include a national sweepstakes with more than $20,000 in prizes, digital advertising, and a consumer media tour with human behavior expert Collette Carlson as a high-profile spokesperson. CLI will provide practices with social media content in advance to help them spread word about eyecare’s role in helping people live richer, fulfilling lives as the country continues to emerge from the pandemic.

Further, a group of leading optometrists from across the U.S. has been named as See Tomorrow Visionaries by the Contact Lens Institute (CLI). The 40 professionals will serve as ambassadors for the new program, to help inspire their peers and inform consumers as part of the nationwide initiative launching this summer. Names and details of those visionaries are posted here.
 
The program kicked off with a free online event featuring human behavior expert Carlson, titled "Your  Patients' Psyches Have Changed, Has Your Practice?" With free registration, that webinar is now viewable on demand here.
 
Rick Weisbarth, OD, FAAO, who leads CLI’s communications committee, and who is vice president, professional affairs at Alcon, noted, "We’re all hearing from friends, family and patients about their aims to travel to a new city, attend a concert, play with the grandkids, hit the gym a little harder, or return to the dating scene; each has strong ties to eyesight. The time is ripe for conversations with patients about what’s ahead, including contact lens options that help them make the most of their plans. See Tomorrow will accelerate and enhance those discussions across the country.”
 
ECPs will have access to an in-practice guide that assists eyecare practitioners and staff in applying the CLI research results and associated research from other healthcare specialties to their own environment. Details and other resources are on the See Tomorrow website. VMAIL also recently reported on some of the research learnings from the initiative.
 
High-value insights at the heart of See Tomorrow will help eyecare practitioners and staff engage more deeply with patients, adapt clinical approaches, and drive business success as the world reopens, the CLI said. "Our companion nationwide consumer marketing education campaign will encourage millions of people to pursue their post-pandemic goals with advice, inspiration, and prizes, all while stressing the role of good vision and contact lenses to their hopes and dreams,” said CLI executive director Stan Rogaski.
 
The Contact Lens Institute advances the latest innovations in safe and effective contact lens and lens care products and services that provide unique benefits to patients while satisfying the evolving needs of eyecare professionals. CLI undertakes activities that properly assess, enhance, promote and balance contact lens and lens care industry welfare and growth, including the safe use of products in the marketplace. Its members include Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.