Health Utility, Social Interactivity, and Peristomal Skin Status: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Thomas Nichols
PMID 30001296WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with ostomies reported worse peristomal skin irritation, lower overall health value and fewer quality-adjusted life-days.
More social functioning and connectivity were linked to better overall health value.
Key findings
01Worse self-reported peristomal skin condition was associated with lower adjusted health utility: 0.758 for level 1, 0.698 for level 2, and 0.638 for level 3.
02Worse skin condition was also associated with fewer adjusted quality-adjusted life-days per month: 22.8 days at level 1, 21.1 days at level 2, and 19.2 days at level 3.
03Higher social functioning and social connectivity were associated with higher health utility (P < .0001).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that peristomal skin damage causes lower health utility or that improving skin would improve social function. Peristomal skin condition was self-reported rather than assessed by a trained health care professional. Participants were drawn from e-mail databases and may not represent all people with ostomies. The minimally important social value threshold was calculated from existing survey data, not from direct patient reports of minimal benefit.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating peristomal skin damage will improve social functioning or health utility. The study was cross-sectional, and the minimal social value thresholds were calculated from survey data, not tested in patients.