Strengthening implementation success using large-scale consensus decision-making - A new approach to creating medical...

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Medical Practice
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• A significant gap exists between research evidence and implementation in stoma care.
• There was a need for standardized guidelines for peristomal assessment, patient engagement, and follow-up.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement best practice guidelines for stoma care nurses.
• To decrease the evidence-to-implementation gap in stoma care.
• To improve patient outcomes and quality of life through standardized care.

Main Methods:

• A literature review of 77 articles informed the development process.
• A Modified Delphi Process involving surveys and expert discussions with over 2000 stoma care nurses.
• Consensus dialogue among 960 nurses from 25 countries facilitated guideline adoption.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive set of medical practice guidelines for stoma care was developed.
• The guidelines were accepted and adopted into routine medical practice across 25 countries.
• The Modified Delphi Process demonstrated faster implementation compared to typical medical community timelines.

Conclusions:

• The developed guidelines enhance stoma care nursing practice and patient quality of life.
• The Modified Delphi Process is an effective method for accelerating the implementation of medical guidelines.
• Global adoption of these guidelines signifies a positive shift towards evidence-based stoma care.