Evaluation of an online educational tool designed to reduce stress and boost well-being for people living with an ileostomy : a framework analysis

Ileostomies, in which the small intestine is re-directed out of a stoma in the stomach so that waste is collected using a bag, are using to treat conditions such as bowel cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Previous research has shown that life with an ileostomy can be challenging. In our own previous work, we piloted an Online Educational Tool (OET) designed to reduce stress and boost well-being in people living with an ileostomy. The current study utilised the qual-itative method framework analysis in order to evaluate the effectiveness of our OET. We asked nine OET users questions about their experience of using the tool and the impact it may have had on their lives. Feedback was generally positive. Participants described facilitators and barriers for remaining engaged, and discussed a wide range of elements which were successful or unsuccessful. Stress levels were generally reduced and well-being boosted; participants gave examples of how this played out for them. Feelings about whether the impact of the tool would last were mixed. There was one participant who felt the tool was not inclusive enough and too repetitive. Findings from this study add weight to previous findings that the OET was successful in its aims.