IADR Abstract Archives
Oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke; facilitators and barriers
Objectives: To explore the attitudes, facilitators and barriers in providing oral care for inpatients with dysphagia post-stroke as perceived by healthcare professionals working in a stroke unit
Methods: This was a single site study conducted with healthcare professionals working in the Stroke Unit of Cork University Hospital, using focus groups and a qualitative thematic analysis approach
Results: A total of three focus groups were conducted in the Stroke Unit with seventeen healthcare professionals. The focus groups included representation from all healthcare professional groups providing direct clinical care to patients on the Stroke Unit including geriatric medicine, dietetics, speech and language therapy, healthcare assistance, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out and seven overarching themes emerged from the data.
Three themes related to facilitators to providing oral care for this patient group: 1. A focus on oral care in both policy and practice, 2. Expanding professional roles in the provision of oral care, 3. Perceived importance of oral care in recovery and rehabilitation.
Four themes related to barriers to the provision of oral care for this patient group: 1. Lack of confidence and concerns related to the perceived risk for patients with dysphagia, 2. Unique challenges of patient and stroke related factors, 3. Lack of resources and time, 4. Perceived importance of oral care in recovery and its relative importance with competing demands.
Conclusions: Members of the stroke multidisciplinary team believe that they all have a part to play in the delivery of oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke. Although hospital policies help to facilitate the provision of appropriate oral care for this population, multiple barriers have been identified. Opportunities exist for the development of multidisciplinary interventions to improve the oral cavity assessment and oral care provided on the Stroke Unit so that oral care for these patients becomes a multidisciplinary rehabilitation goal.
Methods: This was a single site study conducted with healthcare professionals working in the Stroke Unit of Cork University Hospital, using focus groups and a qualitative thematic analysis approach
Results: A total of three focus groups were conducted in the Stroke Unit with seventeen healthcare professionals. The focus groups included representation from all healthcare professional groups providing direct clinical care to patients on the Stroke Unit including geriatric medicine, dietetics, speech and language therapy, healthcare assistance, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. A qualitative thematic analysis was carried out and seven overarching themes emerged from the data.
Three themes related to facilitators to providing oral care for this patient group: 1. A focus on oral care in both policy and practice, 2. Expanding professional roles in the provision of oral care, 3. Perceived importance of oral care in recovery and rehabilitation.
Four themes related to barriers to the provision of oral care for this patient group: 1. Lack of confidence and concerns related to the perceived risk for patients with dysphagia, 2. Unique challenges of patient and stroke related factors, 3. Lack of resources and time, 4. Perceived importance of oral care in recovery and its relative importance with competing demands.
Conclusions: Members of the stroke multidisciplinary team believe that they all have a part to play in the delivery of oral care for patients with dysphagia post-stroke. Although hospital policies help to facilitate the provision of appropriate oral care for this population, multiple barriers have been identified. Opportunities exist for the development of multidisciplinary interventions to improve the oral cavity assessment and oral care provided on the Stroke Unit so that oral care for these patients becomes a multidisciplinary rehabilitation goal.