Outcome measurement is often a necessary prerequisite to performance improvement and achieving best possible patient outcomes. An understanding of the extent to which a patient's home-going self care education needs are met is an important aspect of evidence based practice. Having a means by which to measure this facilitates nursing performance improvement, in particular, their ability to transfer key information to their patients.

New ostomates receive very specific, detailed self care education during their hospital stay. How much of this is retained? Are their self care education needs being met to the fullest extent possible?

The purpose of this Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) project was to develop a measurement tool that would provide information to serve as an indicator to evaluate nursing patient care outcomes over time.

Institutional benchmarking, literature review and discussions with colorectal clinical nurse specialists, nurse managers, and Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN) aided the development of a measurement survey instrument. The instrument includes six critically important areas of self-care education for new ostomates. The patient (or caregiver) is asked questions from each area and their answers are rated, per set criteria, on a five point scale ranging from ‘None' to ‘Extensive' knowledge. Phone contact is made with the patient 10-21 days following hospital discharge.

This poster presentation will present the process of instrument development and implementation. Implications for future CQI projects will also be discussed.