Development and Evaluation Clinical Practice Guidelines for management oral health care for dependent elders, Male internal medicine ward 3, Lampang Hospital

Abstract

Oral health problems in dependent elders significantly impact their quality of life and increase healthcare costs. This research and development study aimed to develop and evaluate evidence-based nursing practice guidelines for oral health care in dependent elders. To achieve this, we systematically reviewed 22 academic articles, appraising their evidence levels based on the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC,1999) guidelines and ranking their trustworthiness according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI, 2014) criteria. A sample of 74 dependent elders and 21 nurses were included in this study. The developed guidelines comprised four main components: oral health assessment, selection of oral care devices, oral hygiene procedures, and caregiver education. The results revealed that the implementation of these evidence-based practice guidelines significantly improved oral health among the elders. as measured by a reduction in the Modified Oral Hygiene Assessment Tool (Oral  Health  Assessment Tool [OHAT]) scores), which was adapted from  the Bureau of Dental Health. Moreover, participants  experienced a decrease in oral pain. The majority of nurses participating in the study reported positive attitudes towards the implementation of these guidelines and were able to effectively plan patient care. In conclusion, this study highlights the benefits of utilizing evidence-based practice guidelines in oral health care for dependent elders. These guidelines can be adapted and further developed for implementation in other healthcare settings. It is recommended to expand the application of these guidelines to other wards and encourage family members to support oral hygiene equipment provision to ensure the sustainability of oral health care for dependent  elders.