The impact of oral health education taken by personal support workers caring for a geriatric population in a long-term care facility: A mixed-methods study

Objective To evaluate the impact of an online oral health education module on personal support workers' (PSW) knowledge and beliefs in their care for long-term care (LTC) residents in one Canadian LTC residence. Background LTC residents are dependent on PSWs for their oral health needs. However, PSWs receive minimal to no oral health education placing residents at risk for poor oral health. Methods A mixed-methods convergent design comprising a before-and-after questionnaire (N = 88), focus groups (N = 23) and interviews (N = 4) exploring module learning. Analysis of each data set was followed by their amalgamation and comparison. Results The online module had limited impact on the PSWs' knowledge and beliefs regarding resident oral health care. The quantitative results demonstrated knowledge improvements in two domains and changes in two belief domains. However, the qualitative results demonstrated new knowledge was not developed or sustained in practice. Themes that emerged include the following: lack of module recall, unmet learning needs and methods for oral care delivery, and timing of oral care in a busy clinical environment. Conclusion Online oral health education alone has limited impact on PSWs' knowledge and beliefs. Research evaluating multifaceted education interventions including hands-on training with a dental expert is warranted.