You Matter!
Know What to Expect for Quality Care.
As the lead organization advocating for the ostomy and continent diversion patient communities, United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) initiated a long-term project; the National Quality Ostomy Care Campaign, to improve the delivery of care for the estimated one million people who have experienced these surgeries. The Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights (PBOR) is a patient-driven grassroots movement and a tool developed for the campaign.The goal is to inform these patient communities that all elements of quality care should be available to them and drive systemic change across healthcare settings. It aims to educate patients and their advocates about their rights before, during and after having or continent diversion surgery.
The PBOR promotes the
following six essential principles:
People who live with an ostomy (temporary or permanent) or continent diversion can be empowered to self-advocate for their own care to improve outcomes.
For healthcare professionals quality ostomy care is driven by such evidence-based practices as defined in these rights.
Patients undergoing ostomy or continent diversion surgery have the right to person-centered, high-quality care in all healthcare settings to achieve a desirable quality of life and can expect to receive the same dignity and attention as people with other medical conditions.
To highlight a holistic practice model; counseling, care, and educational instruction are ideally provided by a certified healthcare professional who specializes in ostomy care. Delivery of care includes access to outpatient ostomy clinics.
The importance of patients being involved in all phases of the surgical experience except in emergent situations and that both healthcare professionals and patients recognize the importance of a strong decision-making relationship with each other.
Health care facilities will support these rights to deliver high quality ostomy patient-centered care to improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Patient Bill of Rights Downloads:
Full Sized Version in English
Wallet Sized in English:
Pediatric Version
Videos created in collaboration with Better Health www.joinbetter.com, Expert Help for Your Ostomy Supplies.
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Click on the image to read.
A joint committee of stakeholders authored a White Paper validating the Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights. It shows when patients receive these rights, there is improved quality of life. This policy paper was intended to strengthen the PBOR by citing evidence based research to provide a data driven advocacy tool for use by both patients and clinicians. The White Paper was published in the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing. The benefit of this paper being published in the JWOCN is that it gives professional exposure in the literature at the national and international levels, which can contribute to driving the needed systemic change.
As a patient you have certain rights. Some are guaranteed by federal law, such as the right to informed consent. This means that if you need a treatment such as ostomy surgery, your healthcare provider must give you the information you need to make a decision.
Although UOAA’s PBOR is not mandated by law that does not make it less important; it just offers no legal recourse. It should be used as a tool for patients and families to know what is reasonable to ask for to facilitate the best outcome for the patient.
Thank You For Your Interest In
UOAA Advocacy Efforts
Please contact us to let us know the issues that are important to you at 1-800-826-0826 or email our Advocacy Manager at advocacy@ostomy.org. You can also follow our advocacy efforts on Twitter @UOAA_Advocate.
Advocates for a Positive Change
Contact Us
United Ostomy Associations of America
P.O. Box 2293
Biddeford, ME 04005-2293
Call us toll-free at: 1-800-826-0826.
Our Information Line hours are Monday-Friday, 9am to 3pm EST. If you have an emergency, please dial 911 or contact your local medical professional.
Please understand that UOAA is a private, nonprofit, advocacy and informational organization. We are not a medical facility and we do not have medical or legal professionals on staff. Therefore, UOAA does not provide Medical, Mental Health, Insurance or Legal Advice. Visit UOAA Virtual Ostomy Clinic provided by The Wound Company for non-emergency, virtual ostomy support.
