Experiences of wearing support garments by people living with a urostomy

Abstract

Background: support garments are commonly worn by people with a urostomy but there are no published data about their experiences of doing so. Aims: to identify the views of people living with a urostomy on the role of support garments. Methods: a cross-sectional survey of the stoma population's experiences of support garments was conducted in 2018. Recruitment was by social media. The free-text responses provided by a sub-sample of 58 people out of 103 respondents with a urostomy, were analysed. Findings: thematic analysis revealed four themes: physical self-management; psychosocial self-management; lifestyle; and healthcare advice and support. There were mixed feelings about the value of support garments. Many cited a sense of reassurance and confidence and being able to be more sociable and active; others reported discomfort and uncertainty about their value. Conclusion: these findings add new understanding of experiences of support garments and provide novel theoretical insights about life with a urostomy.

<p>Optimal Delivery of Follow-Up Care After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer</p>

“…Patients have a plethora of individual needs and concerns after RC, which are reported in several qualitative studies. 13,14,57,76,86,97 A better understanding of these needs and behaviors following surgery, and patients' individual experiences and attitudes towards receiving lifestyle advice, could help to identify specific gaps and inform follow-up interventions in future. SDM tools, which can support the patient and bladder team in making an informed decision on strategy for surgery and goal setting for rehabilitation, are a related area that also currently lacks evidence.…”

“…Developing interventions that support health professionals to provide evidencebased lifestyle advice, while also addressing patients' concerns about their stoma, could help patients to change their health behaviors and improve satisfaction with care. 75,76 A prospective RCT study, including 104 RC patients, found significantly improved stoma care skills up to one year after surgery among those who had been given systematic pre-and postoperative stoma education. 77 Moreover, in a randomized study, preventive educational initiatives aiming to avoid urinary tract infections (UTIs) and including the use of cranberry capsules in the postoperative period have been shown to reduce UTIs.…”

“…78 Overall, the evidence suggests that systematic, proactive, and comprehensive patient education interventions that include multitude lifestyle factors, preventive UTI strategies, and proactive stoma care may reduce impairments and improve follow-up care. 62,75,76,79,80…”