Abstract: Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Improve Quality Care for Patients with an Ostomy (2016 WOCN Society & CAET Joint Conference)

Judith Mosier, MS, BSN, RN, CWOCN, Wound Ostomy Continence Team Methodist, Indiana University Health Methodist, Indianapolis, IN, Joyce Pittman, PhD., CWOCN, Wound Ostomy Continence, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN, Kiley Koke, MOT, OTR, Occupational Therapy Department, Indiana University Health Methodist, Indianapolis, IN and Kathleen Osborn, MS, OTR, Occupational Therapy Department, Indiana University Health Methodist, Indianapolis, IN

More than 130,000 new ostomies are created annually in North America. Short hospital stays and fragmented follow-up care make it difficult for people with ostomies to obtain needed information and support. Within our organization, we identified missed opportunities to provide interdisciplinary collaboration between Wound, Ostomy, Continence (WOC) team and Occupational Therapy (OT) for patients with an ostomy. The purpose of this project was to determine if collaboration between WOC team and OT improve the quality of care given to patients with an ostomy in the acute care setting.

A retrospective comparative design was used to examine WOC/OT collaboration, length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, and functional status for patients with an ostomy. Our intervention included: weekly interdisciplinary collaboration, interdisciplinary education, and development of best practice related to patients with an ostomy. Descriptive analyses were performed.

Pre intervention, WOC/OT collaboration was non-existent. Post intervention, weekly interdisciplinary collaboration meetings occurred and 19 patients were identified over five months that benefited from this collaboration. Mean LOS improved from 20.26 to 18.39 days, 10% (1.87 days) decrease in LOS. The mean readmission rate for patients with an ostomy was unchanged from 21.43% to 21.43%. OT assessments that addressed ostomy care increased from 1/146 (0.6%) to 33/49 (67%). Post intervention, functional status scores relating to Ostomy care improved an average of two levels of independence with OT intervention.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for patients to receive appropriate and consistent information and care after ostomy surgery. In addition, functional and physical assessment is crucial when developing a comprehensive plan of care. In this study, intentional WOC and OT interdisciplinary collaboration was found to enhance and improve the quality of care given to patients with an ostomy in the acute care setting.

RS16-030 Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Improve Quality Care for Patients with an Ostomy