title: Quality of life and need for care in patients with an ostomy: a survey of 2647 patients of the Berlin OStomy-Study (BOSS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although ostomies are sometimes necessary, it is unclear which type of ostomy is advantageous for quality of life (QoL). In an observational study of 2647 patients, QoL after colostomy (CS) and small bowel stoma (SBS) formation was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-QLQ-C30 and CR-38 questionnaires were used. Patient characteristics, retrospective information about the ostomy and previous treatments, and current stoma-related complications were recorded. All questionnaires were distributed and collected by stoma therapists at the homecare company PubliCare®.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 1790 patients had a CS, and 756 had an SBS. The mean Global Health Score (mGHS-a general QoL indicator) was 52.33 in CS and 49.40 in SBS patients (p = 0.004), but the effect size (Cohen's d) was 0.1. In SBS patients, all functional scores were lower and most of the symptom scores were higher.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  QoL differed significantly for CS and SBS patients, but the effect size was marginal. The care of certain patient groups, particularly (female) patients who receive emergency surgeries, must be improved. More professional education and guidance are necessary for a larger proportion of patients. This survey provided reference data for quality of life in patients with an ostomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General- and Visceral Surgery St. Josef Hospital, Ruhr University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braumann
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.|Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.|Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knies
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.|Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aufmesser
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, MIS, Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schwenk
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. gerold.koplin@charite.de.|Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany. gerold.koplin@charite.de.
authors.forename: Gerold
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6649-0001
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koplin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004766:Enterostomy; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Ostomy, EORTC; Quality of life; Surgery