The original “Ostomate Bill of Rights” was presented to the United Ostomy Association (UOA – the predecessor organization to UOAA) by the International Association of Enterostomal Therapists (now known as Wound Ostomy Continence Nurses) at the UOA House of Delegates Meeting during the Annual Conference in 1977 where they were adopted by UOA. The goal was to inform ostomates that all elements of quality care should be available to them.
The ongoing poor care received by ostomates was the impetus for the UOAA initiative to revise the Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights (PBOR) in 2017 as part of their long-term project – the National Quality Ostomy Care Campaign.
At the 2017 National Conference board meeting UOAA’s Management Board of Directors formally adopted the revised Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights including the condensed wallet card version.
To raise awareness and increase utilization of the PBOR among ostomy nurses, in 2019, UOAA presented a poster at the WOCN Society WOCNext Conference, titled “What’s in Your Wallet? Utilizing UOAA’s Patient Bill of Rights, Nurses Can Act as Influencers for Ostomy Patients”. The objective was to reinforce through education that this is a tool to promote best practice in all health care settings.
In 2021 to further educate the public on ostomy rights, UOAA released a special animated series created in collaboration with Better Health (www.joinbetter.com), Expert Help for Your Ostomy Supplies. Additionally, the PBOR was revised in a poster format with minor content changes. It was also translated into Spanish.
October 2, 2021 was World Ostomy Day and the theme was “Ostomates’ Rights Are Human Rights, anytime and anywhere!”. UOAA spoke out for ostomy patient rights and promoted the PBOR.
In 2022 a White Paper validating the Ostomy and Continent Diversion Patient Bill of Rights was published in the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing and in this press release.
In 2025 they were rebranded to reignite the initiative and to encourage the public to join the movement. UOAA’s Medical Advisory Board reviewed the PBOR and provided their seal of approval.
Every 3-5 years, these rights get re-evaluated by UOAA’s Advocacy Committee to ensure they stand the test of time.
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.
