Mouth Care Matters: Educating Healthcare Assistants in Oral Care

Objectives: ‘Mouth Care Matters’ (MCM) is a national initiative that aims to improve the oral health of patients in hospitals through education and training of healthcare staff. At a London-based teaching hospital, a regular training programme has been developed and is delivered to healthcare assistants (HCAs) as part of their induction programme. This project aimed to evaluate the training delivered and review the feedback.
Methods: A formative evaluation was undertaken to obtain feedback from HCAs after each training session. A prospectively maintained database was reviewed from January 2022 – December 2024. Respondents were asked to rate the content, structure and presentation using a 5-point likert scale, and a free text section.
Results: Over the 3- year period, 162 feedback responses were received from respondents from 17 sessions. The HCAs worked in a range of specialties and settings, including haematology, urology and the stroke unit. Feedback consisted of the following:
- The content was an appropriate level for 99% of respondents
- 72% ‘strongly agreed’ the content was relevant to their training
- Greater than 75% ‘strongly agreed’ strongly it was a clear introduction to the topic
- The majority reported the presenters were well informed (99%) and enthusiastic (79%)
- 98% reported the session was of a high quality
- The most common feedback was on how useful the session was. They specifically liked the visual content and case examples
- Suggestions for improvements included skills demonstrations through videos or hands-on practice
Conclusions: MCM is a well received, highly rated programme within this hospital unit that reaches HCAs working in a diverse range of specialties. It is an essential initiative in raising awareness of the importance of oral health, and equipping HCAs with the knowledge and skills to improve the oral health of hospitalised patients.