Interventions Targeting Quality of Life for Colorectal Cancer Patients with Fecal Ostomy: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing fecal ostomy surgery often struggle to adapt to life, particularly when it is performed for colorectal cancer. Maladaptation to life with an ostomy is associated with psychosocial challenges, impacting daily quality of life. The aim of this systematic review is to identify interventions addressing self-care education and psychosocial needs of colorectal cancer patients living with an ostomy and examine their efficacy and effectiveness. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Cochrane Clinical Trials, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science on September 10, 2025. Randomized control trials, prospective cohort studies, case studies, and retrospective studies of tested interventions used before or after ostomy surgery with specific focus on colorectal cancer patients. Patient reported outcomes, including quality of life (QoL) are summarized. RESULTS: Fourteen of the twenty-one studies included reported a positive outcome in QoL for the intervention group. The remaining studies reported mixed results or did not use validated QoL measures. Several studies use additional resources, such as trained nurses. No study reported harm to using the intervention. DISCUSSION: Resource intensive interventions designed to improve colorectal cancer patient quality of life after ostomy surgery show promising improvements in patient-centered outcomes. The majority of studies show improved quality of life or no harm. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions aimed at improving quality of life of colorectal cancer patients with fecal ostomies are resource intensive. Future work is needed to understand the scalability of these interventions to better support these surgical patients. PROSPERO NUMBER: CRD42022382142.