Speak Up for Ostomy Rights on World Ostomy Day!

Every 3 years, ostomates around the world come together to celebrate World Ostomy Day on the first Saturday in October. This year it will be held on October 2, 2021. The European Ostomy Association (EOA) has declared the motto as, “Ostomates’ Rights Are Human Rights - Anytime and Anywhere!” This day is an opportunity for the world to increase public acceptance of ostomy surgery and understand that health care is a human right for everyone.

The ostomy community has felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in various ways. Home care visits by ostomy nurses have been reduced. In some countries, there has been limited access to ostomy supplies due to supply chain issues and/or limited access to affordable ostomy appliances. Hospital visits by ostomy mentors ceased. These visits would have provided much-needed emotional support to patients about to undergo this life-saving surgery from someone who has gone through ostomy surgery. As a result of these concerns, the EOA rekindled a focus on the international Charter of Ostomates’ Rights (http://www.ostomyinternational.org/about-us/charter.html).

According to the EOA, this charter presents the needs of a unique group of disabled people and the care they require. Members of this group must receive information and care that will enable them to live a self-determined, independent life and participate in all decision-making processes. For decades, there has been a worldwide trend recognizing human rights in health and expanding patient rights across all areas of health care,¹ so this is not a new concept.

In the United States, an ongoing United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc. (UOAA) advocacy initiative is to improve the quality of ostomy health care and ensure higher standards of care in all health care settings. One strategy to drive systemic change has been using the document, “You Matter! Know What to Expect and Know Your Rights: Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights.” In 2021 these rights were revised to fill a void in quality ostomy care and meet the needs specific for this underserved patient population. These rights define what high-quality, patient-centered care should be expected during the ostomy surgical experience and for a person’s lifespan of living with an ostomy or continent diversion. Quality care must be provided to all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, religion, place of birth, health, or other status (even having an ostomy!).

This World Ostomy Day, we call on all health care professionals to advance excellence in ostomy care and drive change in the United States. Here are some ways to make a difference:

Print and hang the newly revised Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights poster in your facility and share it with your colleagues. Ensure that these standards of care are used in the facility and are known by the patients. These best-in-practice recommendations are evidence-based and can be found on UOAA’s website, ostomy.org, in addition to a White Paper that lists all the research references that substantiate these standards for high-quality ostomy care.

Start an ostomy conversation by wearing a stoma pin on your lanyard (or ID badge) to raise ostomy awareness and show that you are proud to support the Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights to advance excellence in ostomy care. You can order pins for you and your colleagues at 1-800-826-0826 or info@ostomy.org.

Broadcast the brand-new Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights animated series in your health care facilities to ensure your patients know they have these rights. The videos will be released in the weeks leading up to World Ostomy Day and will be available on YouTube and at ostomy.org.

Upload the special frame for social media profile photos to speak up for ostomy rights.

Please visit https://www.ostomy.org/world-ostomy-day/ for more details and all the other ways to celebrate this special awareness day. There will be information on the Ostomy 5K and how to get a World Ostomy Day T-shirt as well as fun and informative social media events such as special webinars, podcasts, and Facebook live chats.

Keeping the World Ostomy Day motto in mind, everyone can join the worldwide movement and achieve the EOA’s goal to “underline that ostomate rights are not negotiable. They must be respected by governments, politicians, health care authorities, companies, and suppliers, by doctors and nurses, by every human and by every society - even in uncertain times.” 

REFERENCE

1. Olejarczyk JP, Young M. Patient Rights and Ethics. Updated February 17, 2021. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Accessed July 30, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538279/

Jeanine Gleba is United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc. (UOAA)’s Advocacy Manager. Inquiries can be made to: advocacy@ostomy.org. Information in this article was provided by UOAA. UOAA does not endorse particular products, manufacturers, providers, or other sellers of ostomy products. This column was not subject to the Wound Management & Prevention peer-review process.