Ophthalmic Nurses in Norway Answer the Call

The rush and anxiety of an eye clinic visit is not the optimal setting for patients to have all of there their questions answered. Recognising this need, a group of Norwegian nurses partnered with a patient organisation and industry to create Vision Helpline, a national call-in phone service.

Mona Benedicte Nordvik RN, MSc, described the Vision Helpline project during a presented poster session. She works as a Quality Advisor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway. She is also the president of the Norwegian Association of Ophthalmic Nurses.

Callers using the service remain anonymous. They are able to receive general eye health guidance and information from ophthalmic nurses. The system was designed to complement hospital telephone services. Since it is a telephone service, it can be used by those without computer access. It also serves as a resource for family members and caregivers, offers emotional support after vision loss, and supports healthcare providers outside of ophthalmology. Callers are referred to appropriate healthcare services as necessary, she explained.

The Vision Helpline is the fruit of a unique collaboration between the patient group the Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted, ophthalmic nurses at the Haukeland University Hospital, and industry partners Roche and Bayer, which provided funding for the nurses along with advertising and marketing resources.

The Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted identified the need for such a service, provided project leadership, and ensured the patient perspective remained central throughout the development process. It briefed the ophthalmic nurses answering the phones up on available vision rehabilitation services, patient support programmes, assistive technologies, benefits, and community resources.

“This collaboration allowed us to create a service that none of the partners could have provided alone,” Nordvik explained.

Who is calling?

The service received 184 calls between 25 March and 26 June. Most of the calls (81%) were patients. The remainder were relatives, healthcare professionals, or classified as ‘other.’ Calls ranged from two to 60 minutes in length (average 16 minutes). Ophthalmic questions made up 39% of calls, another 30% were about treatment and medication, and 6% were from patients dealing with a vision loss crisis. Age-related macular degeneration, retinal diseases, and dry eye disease are the most common topics.

“Vision loss can have a significant emotional impact. For many people, losing sight or receiving a serious eye diagnosis can trigger anxiety, uncertainty, and even a crisis reaction,” Nordvik said. “Speaking with an experienced ophthalmic nurse can provide reassurance, support, and guidance. Some people find it easier to discuss their concerns through an anonymous service, and we can also help direct them to additional support when needed.”

The service also helps address the many questions that arise after a hospital or ophthalmology appointment. Outpatient clinics are often busy, and consultation times can be short. Patients may leave with unanswered questions or concerns they only think of later. Family members and caregivers also frequently have questions and may benefit from access to professional guidance, she added.

“The nurses involved describe it as meaningful and professionally rewarding to be able to use their ophthalmic expertise in this way, beyond the short patient meetings in the busy clinic.”