Achieving Consensus on Oral Health in Aged Care: Findings From an Australian e-Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Oral health is crucial for overall well-being in older adults.
• Residential aged care (RAC) settings face challenges in providing consistent oral healthcare.
• Systematic oral health assessment is often lacking in RAC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve expert consensus on critical factors for implementing oral health assessments in Australian RAC.
• To identify barriers and enablers for integrating oral health into aged care.

Main Methods:

• An electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) approach using the EPIS framework.
• Two iterative survey rounds with 60 experts from diverse fields.
• Quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

Main Results:

• Consensus on mandating oral health care in accreditation standards and routine assessments.
• Identified barriers: workforce shortages, inadequate training, limited access.
• Enablers: workforce development, standardized tools, policy, cultural change.

Conclusions:

• Provides priorities for embedding oral health assessment tools in RAC.
• Highlights need for accreditation standards, training, and practical tools for sustainable implementation.
• Reframes oral health as integral to clinical governance and quality care.