The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, a leading health services research group based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has published a paper in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open evaluating the effectiveness of its Mouth Care Without a Battle staff training program. After participating in the study for one year, nursing homes that implemented the care program saw a statistically significant 31 percent reduction of pneumonia cases compared to nursing homes that did not use the program.
While numerous studies demonstrate an association between mouth care and pneumonia, the Mouth Care Without a Battle implementation study is the first to examine whether a pragmatic program of mouth care (tooth brushing, flossing and gum care) provided by nursing home staff reduces pneumonia.
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