Systematic Review of Ostomy Care Pathways

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Health Services Research
• Patient Care Management

Background:

• Adults anticipating or living with an ostomy often face challenges impacting their quality of life and healthcare utilization.
• Standardized ostomy care pathways aim to provide comprehensive support throughout the patient journey.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of ostomy care pathways in improving outcomes for adults with ostomies.
• To evaluate the impact of ostomy care pathways on patient satisfaction, hospital length of stay, and readmission rates.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of literature from MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, and EMBASE databases.
• Inclusion criteria focused on studies evaluating at least two components of an ostomy care pathway in adults, assessing outcomes like patient satisfaction, length of stay, or readmission rates.
• Data extraction included study design, interventions, patient characteristics, and outcome measures.

Main Results:

• Eleven studies (2 RCTs, 9 non-randomized) met inclusion criteria; overall study quality was low.
• Four studies reported improved patient satisfaction.
• Five of six studies showed a decrease in hospital length of stay, and five of eight studies found reduced hospital readmission rates.

Conclusions:

• Ostomy care pathways, incorporating preoperative education, postoperative planning, and follow-up, show potential benefits.
• These pathways may enhance patient satisfaction and reduce hospital length of stay and readmission rates.
• Higher-quality research is necessary to definitively establish the effectiveness of ostomy care pathways.