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Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
The oral health assessment tool--validity and reliability
J M Chalmers1, P L King, A J Spencer
1The University of Iowa, College of Dentistry, Iowa City 52242, USA. jane-chalmers@uiowa.edu
Australian Dental Journal
|October 22, 2005
Summary
The Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) is a reliable and valid screening method for residential care, including for residents with dementia. This tool helps carers assess oral health effectively.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Dental Public Health
- Nursing
Background:
- The Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) was developed as part of the Best Practice Oral Health Model for Australian Residential Care study.
- It serves as a simple, eight-category screening tool for institutional carers to assess the oral health of residents, including those with dementia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT).
- To assess the intra- and inter-carer reliability and concurrent validity of the OHAT in residential care settings.
Main Methods:
- A convenience sample of 21 residential care facilities (RCFs) across urban and rural Australia participated.
- The OHAT was administered at baseline, three months, and six months to assess reliability and validity.
- Data included intra-carer and inter-carer reliability metrics (percent agreement, Kappa statistics, ICC) and concurrent validity analyses.
Main Results:
- High intra-carer reliability (ICC=0.78) and inter-carer reliability (ICC=0.74) were observed for OHAT total scores.
- Kappa statistics indicated moderate to substantial agreement for most OHAT categories (0.48-0.80).
- Validity analyses showed high agreement for lips, natural teeth, dentures, and tongue, with moderate agreement for gums.
Conclusions:
- The Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) demonstrates good reliability and validity for screening oral health in residential care.
- It is suitable for use by institutional carers, including those caring for residents with cognitive impairments such as dementia.
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