Unsupported Browser
The American College of Surgeons website is not compatible with Internet Explorer 11, IE 11. For the best experience please update your browser.
Menu
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
ACS
Education

Engage Your Patients for Better Outcomes

April 3, 2025

ACS Patient Education Ostomy Home Skills Kits have been shown to improve outcomes and reduce postoperative resource use. The programs, in Spanish and English, are available for adult colostomy/ileostomy, adult urostomy, pediatric colostomy/ileostomy, and pediatric urostomy. Each program contains practice equipment (pouches, measuring guide, scissors, stoma model), a 40-page instruction booklet, videos, skill assessment checklist, discharge plans, and certification of completion.

Patients who completed the program:

  • Reported significantly fewer problems
  • Were significantly less likely to need additional resources such as home care visits, unplanned office visits, and calls to physicians or nurses, with ER visits reduced by 50%
  • Had significantly greater confidence in self-care and overall satisfaction

The Ostomy Home Skills Kit was developed by a multidisciplinary program of the ACS Division of Education and has been funded in part by a grant from Coloplast Corp. To order the kits, visit Surgical Patient Education Program Products | ACS. For more information contact surgicalpatienteducaiton@facs.org