Oral hygiene of palliative patients in hospice wards: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Oral hygiene is crucial in palliative care, as it directly affects patient comfort and quality of life.

Aim: This study aimed to enhance oral hygiene practices in hospice wards by aligning them with evidence-based guidelines, evaluating current practices, identifying barriers, and implementing targeted interventions.

Methods: This study was conducted at Changhua Christian Hospital in Taiwan and involved 18 nurses and 30 unique patients. Using the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework, the project followed a structured methodology to assess and improve compliance with oral hygiene practices by conducting baseline and follow-up audits. An Oral Assessment Guide (OAG) was used to track and analyze oral health status.

Results: The baseline audit revealed significant deficiencies: 0% compliance for denture care, 10% compliance for twice-daily cleaning of natural teeth, and 50% compliance for assessing mouthwash options for patients with swallowing difficulties. Post-intervention, the follow-up audit revealed that compliance for all nine audit criteria was 100%. Notably, the OAG scores improved from an average of 14.1 to 11.7, indicating enhanced oral health and patient quality of life.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that targeted educational interventions and adherence to best practice guidelines can significantly improve oral hygiene in hospice settings. Achieving full compliance across all criteria, including those initially at full compliance, underscores the importance of continuous improvement in care practices. These findings advocate for the integration of evidence-based practices to enhance the quality of patient care in palliative settings.

Spanish Abstract: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A332.