Prospective Evaluation Finds High Levels Of Satisfaction With ConvaTec Moldable Skin Barrier

Main Category: Dermatology
Article Date: 29 May 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Enterostomal therapy nurses and people living with an ostomy reported very high levels of satisfaction with a new moldable skin barrier pioneered by ConvaTec Ostomy Care, according to results from a prospective evaluation published this month in the journal Ostomy Wound Management.

ConvaTec, a world-leading provider of medical technologies for community and hospital care, developed Moldable Technology(TM) to provide a better fitting skin barrier, increased convenience and improved protection of the skin surrounding the stoma. Also featuring ConvaTec's proprietary Rebounding Memory Technology(TM), the barrier's soft, pliable adhesive is rolled open to fit the desired size and shape with no cutting necessary and then rebounds to gently hug the individual stoma and contours around the stoma for a secure, personalized fit. The proprietary technologies are featured on the company's SUR-FIT Natura(R) ostomy system, currently available in the U.S. and Canada, and on other brands around the world.

Reported by Canadian Enterostomal Therapy Nurses Jo Hoeflok, Sandy Allen, Delilah Guy and Diane St-Cyr, results from the multi-center evaluation program, sponsored by ConvaTec, found that the product was rated "very good" to "excellent" by a high percentage of nurses and participants with an ostomy across a range of criteria including ease of use, adherence and fit, effective skin protection, and overall satisfaction. The mean percentage of "very good" to "excellent" ratings across all criteria was more than 91% from nurses and 87% from participants -- ratings that were also consistently high regardless of ostomy type.

Both nurses and participants reported that the product was easy to apply, mold and create a customized fit, and gave it high ratings for effective skin protection. Importantly, nurses felt the moldable product was easy to teach, and participants rated it highly for overall convenience, comfort and the confidence they felt when wearing it.

"Traditional ostomy skin barriers can be difficult to size and shape perfectly which allows for gaps that can compromise skin protection," said Enterostomal Therapy Nurse Jo Hoeflok, lead author and Advanced Practice Nurse at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "Given that a patient's confidence in their ostomy appliance also significantly affects their quality of life, the positive ratings given to the moldable product are important for nurses and patients alike."

In the program, 49 enterostomal therapy nurses (ETs) from 39 centers across Canada participated. Data was analyzed from a total of 367 self-reported evaluations (195 ET evaluations and 172 participant evaluations.) The vast majority of participants (95%) had ileostomy or colostomy surgery, and more than 40 percent of all evaluations reported the peristomal skin as having some or extensive redness and breakdown at baseline.

Mean percentages for "very good" to "excellent" ratings from nurses, across all criteria, ranged from 89% for colostomies, to 92.7% for ileostomies and urostomies. In addition to reporting that the product was easy to teach (86.7%), a high percentage of nurses said it was simple for participants to use (88.2%). More than 90 percent said they would recommend it to another healthcare professional.

Overall, the mean percentage of "very good" to "excellent" ratings from participants was 84.2% for colostomies, 85.4% for ileostomies and 92.5% for urostomies. Additionally, 82 percent of all participants felt that they could walk around with confidence and nearly 84 percent said they would recommend the product.

Participant and nurse ratings of effective skin protection also were assessed relative to baseline skin condition. The results showed that the ratings were overall high for both groups regardless of baseline skin condition reported.

"The level of existing skin problems reported in the evaluations is close to that found in a previous clinical study, suggesting that the participants in this program are a representative sample of individuals living with an ostomy," added Hoeflok. "Our results on skin protection are therefore an important finding as it indicates the moldable barrier may be effective at preventing skin breakdown and protecting the skin in a variety of clinical settings."

About ConvaTec

ConvaTec is a leading developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies that have helped improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. With four key business divisions -- Ostomy Care, Wound Therapeutics, Continence and Critical Care and Infusion Devices -- ConvaTec products support health care professionals from the hospital to the community health setting. From its headquarters in Skillman, New Jersey, the company oversees more than 8,000 employees in over 90 countries serving consumers and their health care professionals on six continents.

Moldable Technology and Rebounding Memory Technology are trademarks of ConvaTec Inc.

SUR-FIT Natura is a registered trademark of ConvaTec Inc.

AP-007600-MM

(1) Hoeflok J, Guy D, Allen S, St-Cyr D. A prospective multicenter evaluation of a moldable stoma skin barrier. Ostomy Wound Management 2009;55(5)62-69

Source: ConvaTec