title: Mouth care in cancer nursing: using an audit to change practice.
abstract: Patients with cancer face an assault on oral health from their disease and accompanying treatment options and are vulnerable to developing oral problems; therefore, the maintenance of oral health is particularly important. A study was carried out in one oncology unit within a large teaching hospital to measure the extent of oral problems in cancer patients, current mouth care practices and staff knowledge. The findings showed that oral problems were common, but were: (1) underreported by patients (2) underdiagnosed by doctors and nurses (3) inadequately treated, and (4) inadequately documented. Nursing staff were found to have knowledge deficits. Changes to practice as a result of these findings included the development of oral care guidelines; additionally, patient information leaflets and posters were produced and a staff education programme was introduced. A further audit found that there had been significant improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of oral problems and increased reporting of previously ignored problems by patients.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000451:nursing*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000451:nursing; D009731:Nursing Audit; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000451:nursing*