INTRODUCTION: Adaptation to living with a stoma is complex, and studies have shown that stoma creation has a great impact on patients' health related quality of life. The objective was to explore the effect of a structured patient education program on health related quality of life. Therefore, we implemented interventions aimed at increasing health related quality of life during and after hospital admission.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a case/control study aimed at adult patients admitted to the surgical ward for stoma creation, irrespective of type of stoma or reason for creation of stoma. We included 50 patients in the study. Health related quality of life was measured before hospital discharge, three months and six months after stoma creation. The program included educational interventions involving lay-teachers, alongside health professional teachers.

RESULTS: We found a significant rise in health related quality of life in the intervention group (P<0.001) and no significant change in the control group (P = 0.144). However, we found no significant differences when comparing between groups at 3 and 6 months (p = 0.12 and p = 0.63, respective). Additionally, there were differences in scores in health related quality of life baseline (p = 0.045) with lower scores in the intervention group compared with the intervention group. However, there were no significant differences in the demographic variables at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: Educational activities aimed at increase in knowledge and focusing on patients' psychosocial needs may lead to a rise in patients' health related quality of life. When patients with a stoma attend a structured patient education program it is possible to improve their health related quality of life compared with patients with a stoma, who do not attend the program.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01154725.