Saunders B, Polidano K, Chew-Graham CA, Fisher T, Corp N, McDermott-Hughes M, Farmer AD, Bray L. Healthcare professionals' priorities for training to identify and manage distress experienced by young people with a stoma due to inflammatory bowel disease: a consensus study using online nominal group technique.
BMJ Open 2023;
13:e072360. [PMID:
38030248 PMCID:
PMC10689392 DOI:
10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072360]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Young people with a stoma due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly experience distress; however, this is not always well managed in clinical settings. More effective support may/is likely to reduce the possibility of individuals experiencing sustained distress, which may engender depression or anxiety. This study aimed to gain consensus among a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals (HCPs) on priorities for training in the identification and management of distress in this population. One of the authors is a young person with a stoma.
DESIGN
Participants were recruited through Twitter (X) and the researchers' clinical/research contacts. Two consensus group meetings were conducted using Nominal Group Technique, involving participants generating, discussing and rating on a Likert scale, topics for inclusion in an HCP training package.
SETTING
Online video conferencing. Participants were located across England, with one based in the USA.
PARTICIPANTS
Nineteen HCPs participated: three general practitioners, three stoma nurses, two IBD nurses, nine clinical psychologists and two gastroenterologists.
RESULTS
Twenty-five topics were generated by participants; 19 reached consensus of ≥80%, that is, a mean of ≥5.6 on a 7-point Likert scale. These included: recognising and validating different levels of, and variation in, distress; tackling stigma and normalising having a stoma; everyday practicalities of stoma management, including food and sleep; opening and holding conversations about stoma-related distress; considering the impact of different cultural beliefs on adaptation after stoma surgery; training in simple techniques for gauging the patient's distress during clinical encounters; having conversations about body image; and myth-busting common fears, such as odour.
CONCLUSIONS
This study is the first to identify HCP training priorities for managing stoma-related distress in young people. Consensus was reached for 19 topics, reflecting the varied needs of young people with a stoma. Findings will inform development of a training package for HCPs treating young people with IBD and a stoma.
Collapse