Quality of Life in Patients With and Without a Parastomal Bulge - a Cross-sectional Study of Patients in the Danish Stoma Database Capital Region

A cross-sectional study of patients registered in the Danish Stoma Database Capital Region (DSDCR), with permanent or temporary enterostoma after surgery performed between 2011 and 2016. Via a unique personal identification number registered in DSDCR patients will be contacted by e-mail using the e-Boks system, an official electronic distribution system covering around 80% of the Danish adult population. The e-mail will contain information about the study and a personal link to SurveyXact, an online survey program allowing for direct electronic data entry by patients. First reminder will be sent after one week and a second reminder again one week later. If necessary, a third reminder additionally three weeks later will be sent to patients by post, including a paper booklet of the questionnaires as described below.

For patients without e-Boks, DSDCR will be linked to the Danish Civil Registration System via the unique personal identification number, providing information on patient's addresses. Information on the study and a paper booklet of questionnaires will be sent to patients by post. A reminder will be sent by post after three weeks if necessary. Hereafter, no further attempts will be made to contact the patients. To include other relevant variables in the analysis of data, data from the Danish Anaesthesia Database (DAD) and the Danish Colorectal Cancer Database will be linked. Quality of life will be assessed using StomaQol and SF-36. Colostomy Impact score will also be obtained. Patients will self-report a parastomal bulge and information such as education, alcohol consumption, physical activity and civil status.