The Coloplast Foundation course in Stoma Care is open to registered nurses and senior support workers working in hospital or community in either the public or private sectors in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, who care for patients with a stoma and who wish to acquire greater knowledge and skills in stoma care.

The Foundation Course comprises a 4 hour online training programme. A one day practical workshop is available if required after completion of the self-learning programme. Both self learning and practical elements of the course must be successfully completed in order to gain the certificate of achievement.

Applicants must have the support and approval of a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Stoma Care in order to undertake the course. Applicants having difficulty in identifying or contacting a Clinical Nurse Specialist should contact their local Coloplast Territory Manager for advice and guidance. The course is free of charge to all nurses who receive approval to undertake it from a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Stoma Care.

Once you have the support of a Clinical Nurse Specialist, please register for an account by going to coloplastprofessional.co.uk and clicking on ‘Register’.

If you have any questions about the course, please speak to the Clinical Nurse Specialist who has agreed to support you. If you require support when registering or have an enquiry about the use of the online system, please contact CProfessionalUK@coloplast.com or call 0800 220 622

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Health economics

In the healthcare sector, resources are always considered scarce. This drives us at Coloplast to deliver treatment and care solutions that provide the most value for money.

Within stoma care, we focus on reducing total treatment costs. Total treatment costs take into consideration not only the price of a stoma appliance, but also the use of accessories and the costs of treating stoma-related complications.

One of the main issues in stoma care is peristomal skin complications caused by stomal output and stoma appliance application, use and removal. Treatment of skin complications requires a great deal of nursing time, thus the total resource consumption increases with the level of peristomal skin complications.

Factoring in these kinds of costs when considering different stoma appliances shows that, while there may be a significant difference in initial stoma appliance costs, the total costs can even out – or even be lower – for the more expensive stoma appliance.

Total costs are lower with the higher-priced stoma appliance, due to better performance and thus less use of accessories and a lower need for additional treatment.

A published health economic analysis shows a 38% reduction in costs associated with treating peristomal skin complications when using SenSura products in evidence-based stoma care nursing. Martins et al. 2012.

For more information, please contact your local sales representative.

DialogueStudy

The DialogueStudy is a global clinical study designed to document real life experiences of Coloplast’s SenSura stoma appliances. The study focused on skin conditions and quality of life. With more than 3,000 patients and 500 nurses involved, the DialogueStudy is the largest study ever undertaken within stoma care and was carried out from 2006 to 2010.

The global results show that many people with a stoma have peristomal skin problems, and that a combination of evidence-based nursing and the use of SenSura meant reduced incidents of leakages, less unplanned changes, and an increased feeling of security.

If you’d like to know more about the DialogueStudy, please contact your local Coloplast office.

Ostomy Skin Tool

The Ostomy Skin Study showed that peristomal skin conditions are very common in people with a stoma, and that these conditions can have a negative impact on quality of life. It also showed that many people with a stoma are not aware that they have a skin condition and therefore don’t consult their stoma care nurse. The study was carried out in Denmark in 2004 and involved 199 patients. The study was the background for the larger DialogueStudy.

The Ostomy Skin Tool is a validated tool designed to provide an efficient method for determining the cause and severity of peristomal skin conditions. It also provides recommendations on how to monitor and manage these conditions.