The Effect of Web-Based Patient Education on Quality of Life of Patients With Colostomy and Ileostomy

The purpose of the study was to compare a web-based education program designed for purposes of this study to a control group receiving usual care in patients undergoing colostomy and ileostomy. Groups were compared on the basis of three outcome measures: health-related quality of life, knowledge of ostomy care, and incidence of stomal or peristomal complications. Randomized controlled trial. The sample comprised 70 patients who had undergone colorectal surgery with formation of colostomy and ileostomy; 35 patients were enrolled in the experimental and control groups. The study was conducted in a 761-bed tertiary research and training hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, between December 2017 and May 2018. Research data were collected using an Information Form, City of Hope-Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire (CoH-QoL-OQ), Ostomy Care Knowledge Assessment Test (OCKAT), and Ostomy Complications Assessment Form (OCAF). Data were analyzed with Student t test, paired sample t test, Fisher's exact chi-square test, Fisher-Freeman-Halton test, and Yates continuity correction test. No significant differences were identified between the intervention group and control group for quality-of-life total scores (t = 0.030; P = .97) and ostomy care knowledge scores (t = 0.80; P = .42) before training (baseline). A significant difference was found between the two groups following training (t = 4.117; P = .00; t = 11.87; P = .00). Health-related quality-of-life scores and ostomy care knowledge of the intervention group were higher than those in the control group. Web-based education may be provided as a time-effective option to patients with colostomy and ileostomy to improve their quality of life.