WOCN Recognizes ADVOCATE Poster with Research Merit Award

Jan Colwell, RN, MSN, CWOCN, Joyce Pittman, PhD, RN, NP, CWOCN, and Rose Raizman, RN-EC, NSWOC(C), M.Sc., MN, were recently honored by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses (WOCN®) Society™ with the Research Merit Award for their poster on the ADVOCATE Randomized Controlled Trial entitled “Ostomy Skin Barriers and Costs of Care.”

The ADVOCATE study is the first to provide health and economic outcomes data demonstrating that the use of CeraPlus skin barriers could improve skin health and lower the cost of ostomy care. The full study and results can be seen here in the Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing.

“We are thankful for the visionary and innovative leadership demonstrated by the talented team of clinicians who helped design and implement the ADVOCATE Study, including Jan Colwell, Joyce Pittman, and Rose Raizman,” said Brian Luedtke, Senior Vice President, Hollister Incorporated. “We are delighted to see such a high level of peer recognition for the ground-breaking work implemented by these leading clinicians.”

The ADVOCATE poster prevailed over 40 poster submissions in the same category. Each submission went through multiple levels of rigorous reviews. Ten finalists were then evaluated on six levels of criteria by a panel of four wound, ostomy and continence experts to choose the winner.

“I am honored to be involved with these other great co-authors in the dissemination of the ADVOCATE study findings. WOC nurses and clinicians caring for individuals with an ostomy now have strong evidence to make a clinical practice decision regarding the most appropriate skin barrier to decrease cost of ostomy care and to reduce peristomal skin complications,” said Joyce Pitman, ADVOCATE co-author.

“I was thrilled when I heard that the ADVOCATE Study was going to be a randomized double-blinded study in ostomy. Such high level, quality of evidence is hard to find in this space and an honor to be part of.” said Rose Raizman, ADVOCATE co-author.

The prestigious award was presented at the WOCN’s 50th Annual Conference, June 3 – 5, 2018 in Philadelphia, PA.