Examining the Impact of Telehealth Stoma Care Interventions on the Ostomates: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The included studies used different telehealth media and different intervention content, frequency, and duration, which produced high heterogeneity, including I 2 = 95% for stoma adjustment. Only eight studies were included, and only six were meta-analysed, so the review could not determine which telehealth medium, such as phone, video, text, or app, is most effective. Anxiety was assessed in only two studies, and stoma-related quality of life could not be meta-analysed because of missing data. Risk of bias was mixed: five studies had some concerns and three were high risk, with problems in randomisation, outcome measurement, and selection of reported results. All studies had some concerns about outcome measurement because data collectors knew which intervention participants received. Publication bias could not be assessed because of the limited number of included studies. The evidence certainty was low to moderate, and the review only included adults with bowel stomas, so it does not show effects in other populations or care settings.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The publication type lists non-U.S. government research support, but no funder is named in the article text.

Do not read the positive adjustment and self-efficacy results as proof that telehealth stoma care improves quality of life or anxiety. Anxiety showed no significant difference, quality of life was inconsistent, and the evidence was low to moderate certainty with high heterogeneity.