title: Telephone follow-up for patients returning home with colostomies: views and experiences of patients and enterostomal nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the views of patients and enterostomal nurses regarding a telephone follow-up program for patients returning home with colostomies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven patients who accepted a telephone intervention and seven enterostomal nurses who conducted telephone follow-ups. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The enterostomal nurses indicated that the telephone follow-up was appreciated and well accepted by the patients. Both the patients and the enterostomal nurses perceived the telephone follow-up as efficient at solving stoma care problems in a timely manner, shortening the process of resuming normal life, and most importantly, providing psychological support. The enterostomal nurses found that telephone follow-up after a patient's hospital discharge was meaningful work. Additional nurse training and measures to overcome communication barriers are required.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All of the patients benefited from the nurse-led telephone follow-up program as part of the continuity of nursing care. The sustainability of the service requires hospital support. Further dissemination of telephone follow-up to other discharged surgical patients might be warranted.
authors: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, No.651, Dongfeng Road East, 510060 Guangzhou, China.
authors: Mei-Chun
authors: MC
authors: Zheng
authors: Jun-E
authors: JE
authors: Zhang
authors: Hui-Ying
authors: HY
authors: Qin
authors: Yu-Jing
authors: YJ
authors: Fang
authors: Xiao-Jun
authors: XJ
authors: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000379:methods*; D000368:Aged; D002681:China; D003125:Colostomy / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*