Christopher J Wretman1, Sheryl Zimmerman2, Kimberly Ward3, Philip D Sloane4. 1. The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: wretman@email.unc.edu. 2. The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. 3. The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC. 4. The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Mouth care is increasingly recognized as an important component of care in nursing homes (NHs), yet is known to be deficient. To promote quality improvement and inform research efforts, it is necessary to have valid measures of staff self-efficacy and attitudes to provide mouth care. DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire completed by NH staff, information about the NH obtained from the administrator, and oral hygiene assessments of NH residents. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 434 staff in 14 NHs in North Carolina who were participating in a cluster randomized pragmatic trial ofMouth Care Without a Battle (MCWB). METHODS: Staff in MCWB homes completed the questionnaire at baseline; staff in control homes completed it at 2-year follow-up. The 35-item questionnaire used new items and those from previous measures, many of which were modified for the NH setting. Factorial, construct, and criterion validity were assessed. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis identified a 3-factor 11-item self-efficacy scale (promoting oral hygiene, providing mouth care, obtaining cooperation) named "Self-Efficacy for Providing Mouth Care" (SE-PMC), and a 2-factor 11-item attitudes scale (care of residents' teeth, care of own teeth), named Attitudes for Providing Mouth Care (A-PMC). Scores varied significantly across NHs and differentiated them based on profit status, age, and, for the A-PMC, NH size. Scores also differentiated among staff based on age and, for the SE-PMC, years of experience. In NHs where staff scored more highly, residents featured better oral hygiene (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The SE-PMC and A-PMC are valid, parsimonious, and useful measures for quality improvement and research to improve mouth care in NHs that can be used jointly or individually. Preliminary evidence suggests that these scales may be associated with resident-level plaque and gingival hygiene, making them useful tools to assess promotion of mouth care.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: Mouth care is increasingly recognized as an important component of care in nursing homes (NHs), yet is known to be deficient. To promote quality improvement and inform research efforts, it is necessary to have valid measures of staff self-efficacy and attitudes to provide mouth care. DESIGN: A self-administered questionnaire completed by NH staff, information about the NH obtained from the administrator, and oral hygiene assessments of NH residents. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 434 staff in 14 NHs in North Carolina who were participating in a cluster randomized pragmatic trial of Mouth Care Without a Battle (MCWB). METHODS: Staff in MCWB homes completed the questionnaire at baseline; staff in control homes completed it at 2-year follow-up. The 35-item questionnaire used new items and those from previous measures, many of which were modified for the NH setting. Factorial, construct, and criterion validity were assessed. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis identified a 3-factor 11-item self-efficacy scale (promoting oral hygiene, providing mouth care, obtaining cooperation) named "Self-Efficacy for Providing Mouth Care" (SE-PMC), and a 2-factor 11-item attitudes scale (care of residents' teeth, care of own teeth), named Attitudes for Providing Mouth Care (A-PMC). Scores varied significantly across NHs and differentiated them based on profit status, age, and, for the A-PMC, NH size. Scores also differentiated among staff based on age and, for the SE-PMC, years of experience. In NHs where staff scored more highly, residents featured better oral hygiene (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The SE-PMC and A-PMC are valid, parsimonious, and useful measures for quality improvement and research to improve mouth care in NHs that can be used jointly or individually. Preliminary evidence suggests that these scales may be associated with resident-level plaque and gingival hygiene, making them useful tools to assess promotion of mouth care.
Authors: Sheryl Zimmerman; Philip D Sloane; Kimberly Ward; Christopher J Wretman; Sally C Stearns; Patricia Poole; John S Preisser Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2020-06-01