Date of Award

Spring 2017

Rights

Access is available to all users

Date Available to Non-EWU Users

April 2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS) in Dental Hygiene

Department

Dental Hygiene

Abstract

Purpose: Dental hygienists (DHs) have a unique opportunity to screen for OSA, but receive limited OSA education within the DH curriculum. This study was conducted to determine if an online educational intervention could significantly increase the knowledge of information relevant to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening in dental hygiene (DH) students. Methods: OSA knowledge was assessed with a 17 question, comprehension based pre-test and post-test. The convenience sample consisted of first year DH students enrolled in DNHY 341S Management of the Medically Compromised at Eastern Washington University (EWU). Participants completed the pre-test, viewed the OSA educational video, completed a post-test, and completed a second post-test two weeks following completion of the educational module. Pre-test and post-test answers were compared to determine the change in knowledge. Pre-test and first post-test answers were compared to second post-test answers to evaluate knowledge retention. Results: Thirty-three participants completed the pre-test and post-test, and 28 (85%) completed the second post-test. Participants had a significant improvement in first and second post-test scores compared to pre-test scores (p < .001, t(33) = 9.836). Following completion of the online educational module, all participants (n=33) indicated they believed screening for OSA was important, and 76% of participants (n=25) indicated they were likely or very likely to evaluate adult patients for OSA. Conclusion: An online OSA educational module is an effective educational strategy to increase the OSA knowledge of DH students.

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