When scheduling a follow-up visit, what is the recommended time for a daily wear contact lens patient to insert their lenses before the appointment?

The recommended time for a daily wear contact lens patient to insert their lenses before a follow-up visit is to do so a minimum of 1/2 hour prior to the appointment. This timing allows sufficient time for the lenses to settle on the eye and for the patient to acclimatize to wearing them, which is important for assessing lens fit and comfort during the appointment.

If the lenses are inserted more than half an hour before the visit, the patient may experience changes in comfort or vision, particularly if there are any fitting issues or concerns that need to be evaluated by the practitioner. This timeframe helps ensure that the patient is experiencing the lenses in a relatively stable state during the assessment, thus providing more accurate feedback for the clinician.

Looking at the other options, they suggest either inserting the lenses much earlier than necessary or not wearing them at all, which would not provide the practitioner with the relevant observations needed to appropriately address fit, comfort, or vision concerns.