PROBLEMS STATEMENT: The relative newness of Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) has revealed a void in assessment protocols and treatment guidelines in the dental setting. Providing oral health care practitioners with an assessment and treatment protocol could facilitate the delivery of comprehensive oral health care.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test a protocol for assessing and treating patients with PCC in the dental practice setting.
METHODS: A qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. A PCC assessment and treatment protocol (ATP) was developed and used by dental hygienists in clinical practice in California for a period of 6 weeks. Following the use of the PCC ATP practitioners were invited to participate in individual interviews; online individual interviews were comprised of 20 dental hygienists recruited via purposive sampling. Participant anonymity was preserved using pseudonyms. The qualitative analysis software program Dedoose was used to identify codes and themes. Investigator triangulation, member checks, and saturation were used to validate responses.
RESULTS: Fifty-six participants completed the six-week PCC ATP protocol and twenty participants were interviewed. Four themes were identified: awareness, accessibility, resources, and complications. Within the theme of accessibility the subthemes of ease of use and guidance emerged. The theme complications yielded three subthemes: time, clinician hesitation, and patient lack of cooperation.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a PCC ATP created awareness of the varied symptoms of PCC and is a useful resource for clinical practitioners. Providing dental hygienists with a protocol supports efforts to provide person-centered evidence-based care.
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