Telephone follow-up for patients returning home with colostomies: Views and experiences of patients and enterostomal nurses

PurposeTo explore the views of patients and enterostomal nurses regarding a telephone follow-up program for patients returning home with colostomies.Methods and sampleSemi-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.Key resultsThe 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.ConclusionsAll 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.