TY - JOUR
T1 - Better stoma care using the Stoma App
T2 - does it help? A first randomized double-blind clinical trial on the effect of mobile healthcare on quality of life in stoma patients
AU - van der Storm, Sebastiaan L.
AU - Consten, Esther C. J.
AU - Govaert, Marc J. P. M.
AU - Tuynman, Jurriaan B.
AU - Oosterling, Steven J.
AU - Grotenhuis, Brechtje A.
AU - Smits, Anke B.
AU - Marsman, Hendrik A.
AU - van Rossem, Charles C.
AU - van Duyn, Eino B.
AU - de Nes, Lindsey C. F.
AU - Verdaasdonk, Emiel
AU - de Vries Reilingh, Tammo S.
AU - Vening, Wouter
AU - Bemelman, Willem A.
AU - Schijven, Marlies P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Background: Receiving a stoma significantly impacts patients’ quality of life. Coping with this new situation can be difficult, which may result in a variety of physical and psychosocial problems. It is essential to provide adequate guidance to help patients cope with their stoma, as this positively influences self-efficacy in return. Higher self-efficacy reduces psychosocial problems increasing patient’s quality of life. This study investigates whether a new mobile application, the Stoma App, improves quality of life. And if personalized guidance, timed support, and peer contact offered as an in-app surplus makes a difference. Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted between March 2021 and April 2023. Patients aged > 18 years undergoing ileostomy or colostomy surgery, in possession of a compatible smartphone were included. The intervention group received the full version of the app containing personalized and time guidance, peer support, and generic (non-personalized) stoma-related information. The control group received a restricted version with only generic information. Primary outcome was stoma quality of life. Secondary outcomes included psychological adaption, complications, re-admittance, reoperations, and length of hospital stay. Results: The intervention version of the app was used by 96 patients and the control version by 112 patients. After correction for confounding, the intervention group reported a significant 3.1-point improvement in stoma-related quality of life one month postoperatively (p = 0.038). On secondary outcomes, no significant improvements could be retrieved of the intervention group. Conclusion: The Stoma App improves the quality of life of stoma patients. Peer support and personalized guidance are of significant importance in building self-efficacy. It is to be recommended to implement Stoma app—freely available software qualifying as a medical device—in standard stoma care pathways for the benefits of both patients and healthcare providers.
AB - Background: Receiving a stoma significantly impacts patients’ quality of life. Coping with this new situation can be difficult, which may result in a variety of physical and psychosocial problems. It is essential to provide adequate guidance to help patients cope with their stoma, as this positively influences self-efficacy in return. Higher self-efficacy reduces psychosocial problems increasing patient’s quality of life. This study investigates whether a new mobile application, the Stoma App, improves quality of life. And if personalized guidance, timed support, and peer contact offered as an in-app surplus makes a difference. Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted between March 2021 and April 2023. Patients aged > 18 years undergoing ileostomy or colostomy surgery, in possession of a compatible smartphone were included. The intervention group received the full version of the app containing personalized and time guidance, peer support, and generic (non-personalized) stoma-related information. The control group received a restricted version with only generic information. Primary outcome was stoma quality of life. Secondary outcomes included psychological adaption, complications, re-admittance, reoperations, and length of hospital stay. Results: The intervention version of the app was used by 96 patients and the control version by 112 patients. After correction for confounding, the intervention group reported a significant 3.1-point improvement in stoma-related quality of life one month postoperatively (p = 0.038). On secondary outcomes, no significant improvements could be retrieved of the intervention group. Conclusion: The Stoma App improves the quality of life of stoma patients. Peer support and personalized guidance are of significant importance in building self-efficacy. It is to be recommended to implement Stoma app—freely available software qualifying as a medical device—in standard stoma care pathways for the benefits of both patients and healthcare providers.
KW - Colorectal surgery
KW - Ehealth
KW - Mhealth
KW - Mobile application
KW - Quality of life
KW - Stoma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85181730282&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-023-10593-x
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-023-10593-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 38191813
SN - 0930-2794
VL - 38
SP - 1442
EP - 1453
JO - Surgical endoscopy
JF - Surgical endoscopy
IS - 3
ER -