Long-term Suprapubic Catheter-Related Care Requirements When Living at Home: Development of a Best Practice Guide

The purpose of this study was to develop a best practice guideline specific to the health care needs of adults living at home with a long-term suprapubic catheter (SPC).

Guided by the theory of social constructionism, a mixed-methods, 2-phased study design enabled an integration of experiences and consensus from 2 groups of experts.

The first group of experts involved 10 people living with a long-term SPC at home. The second group comprised 23 nurses who provided care to people living with a long-term SPC at home.

During phase 1, semistructured in-depth interviews were completed to explore people's day-to-day self-care practices and support needs when living at home with a long-term SPC. These data were evaluated via thematic analysis. The themes identified in phase 1 provided the phase 2 question framework in the development of a 3-round Delphi survey involving the expert nurse group. The first round elicited the respondents' opinions on specific aspects of SPC-related care. Using qualitative content analysis, practice statements were generated and used in subsequent survey rounds. The respondents rated their level of agreement to each statement. The guideline comprises the statements that achieved consensus.

The 6 elements of the best practice guideline contracted using this mixed-methods study were psychological support needs, cystostomy site care, SPC replacement, drainage equipment practices, complication avoidance and management, and planning ahead.

This best practice document provides a valuable resource to guide health professionals, promoting standardized best practices when caring for persons living at home with an SPC.