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Volume 16
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Remote Patient Education for People Living with an Ostomy: An Italian Expert Consensus Using a Modified Delphi Method

by
Giulia Villa
1,
Andrea Poliani
1,2,*,
Alessia Campoli
2,3,
Annarita Coppola
4,
Francesco Carlo Denti
5,
Rossella Guzzi
6,
Danila Maculotti
7,
Marina Perrotta
6,
Clara Salazar
6,
Giovanni Sarritzu
8,
Monica Sgherri
6,
Antonio Valenti
9,
Pier Raffaele Spena
6 and
Duilio Fiorenzo Manara
1
1
Center for Nursing Research and Innovation, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
2
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
3
Nursing Research Unit IFO, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144 Rome, Italy
4
Surgery Department Head Nurse, S. Anna and SS. Madonna della Neve, Boscotrecase, ASL Napoli 3 Sud, 80042 Napoli, Italy
5
Stoma Care Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
6
Italian National Association for Incontinence and Ostomy Patients, Federazione delle Associazioni Incontinenti e Stomizzati (FAIS), 20133 Milano, Italy
7
Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy
8
Stoma Care Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
9
Stoma Care Unit, Mauriziano Hospital, 10128 Turin, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nurs. Rep. 2026, 16(6), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16060203 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 21 April 2026 / Revised: 2 June 2026 / Accepted: 11 June 2026 / Published: 15 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nursing Digital Innovation: From Care Delivery to Professional Development)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Introduction: Remote education is increasingly used in ostomy care, but its components, timing, governance, and evaluation remain inconsistently defined. This study aimed to develop practice-oriented recommendations for implementing remote patient education for people living with an ostomy. Methods: An Italian expert consensus using a modified Delphi method and reported according to the ACCORD guidelines was conducted. An expert panel (n = 11), recruited nationally, included stomatherapists (n = 6) and people living with an ostomy (n = 5). Round 1 comprised a remotely conducted focus group to generate and refine statements informed by a targeted literature search. Rounds 2 and 3 were anonymous online surveys in which panelists rated statements on a four-point Likert scale and could provide comments or propose additional items. Consensus was predefined as ≥75% agreement. Results: Response rates were 100% across the three rounds (October–November 2025). The panel achieved consensus on 8 definitions and 14 statements, organized into six domains: (1) model of care and eligibility; (2) privacy and data protection; (3) program structure, outcomes, and evaluation; (4) educational content and teaching strategies; (5) timing, intensity, follow-up, and caregiver involvement; and (6) dignity, relational quality, and professional and organizational requirements. Recommendations supported a hybrid-by-default model with eligibility criteria, privacy-by-design using secure platforms and traceable documentation, structured programs with tailored multimodal content, staged pathways lasting 2–6 months after an initial in-person foundation, dignity-preserving options during remote encounters, professional training in communication and digital empathy, and integration into clinical planning and records. Conclusions: This consensus provides the first ostomy-specific, implementation-focused recommendations for standardizing remote patient education in Italy, with an emphasis on equity, privacy, dignity, evaluation, and workforce competencies.
Keywords: consensus; Delphi technique; education; ostomy; remote education; nursing; surgical stomas consensus; Delphi technique; education; ostomy; remote education; nursing; surgical stomas

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MDPI and ACS Style

Villa, G.; Poliani, A.; Campoli, A.; Coppola, A.; Denti, F.C.; Guzzi, R.; Maculotti, D.; Perrotta, M.; Salazar, C.; Sarritzu, G.; et al. Remote Patient Education for People Living with an Ostomy: An Italian Expert Consensus Using a Modified Delphi Method. Nurs. Rep. 2026, 16, 203. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16060203

AMA Style

Villa G, Poliani A, Campoli A, Coppola A, Denti FC, Guzzi R, Maculotti D, Perrotta M, Salazar C, Sarritzu G, et al. Remote Patient Education for People Living with an Ostomy: An Italian Expert Consensus Using a Modified Delphi Method. Nursing Reports. 2026; 16(6):203. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16060203

Chicago/Turabian Style

Villa, Giulia, Andrea Poliani, Alessia Campoli, Annarita Coppola, Francesco Carlo Denti, Rossella Guzzi, Danila Maculotti, Marina Perrotta, Clara Salazar, Giovanni Sarritzu, and et al. 2026. "Remote Patient Education for People Living with an Ostomy: An Italian Expert Consensus Using a Modified Delphi Method" Nursing Reports 16, no. 6: 203. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16060203

APA Style

Villa, G., Poliani, A., Campoli, A., Coppola, A., Denti, F. C., Guzzi, R., Maculotti, D., Perrotta, M., Salazar, C., Sarritzu, G., Sgherri, M., Valenti, A., Spena, P. R., & Manara, D. F. (2026). Remote Patient Education for People Living with an Ostomy: An Italian Expert Consensus Using a Modified Delphi Method. Nursing Reports, 16(6), 203. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16060203

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