Sammanfattning
The article describes a study that aimed to chart the use of THROAT and staff members' opinion
of the tool. THROAT is a screening tool for oral hygiene for patients with acquired brain damage
admitted for neurorehabilitation. The study was based on an audit of 14 medical records and a focus
group interview with four nurses. Analysis of the nurses' feedback revealed that the nurses did not
use the tool and that they viewed the tool as unnecessary in practice. One of the argumentations for
this was that the nurses felt that their own practice was better than what THROAT could do, and they
did not find that THROAT was optimally structured.
Implementation and follow-up were named as deciding factors in their decision not to use the tool.
The nurses were frustrated about being overburdened in their daily nursing practice with tools that
often resulted in the de-individualisation of the patient. Reassessment of the tools, including
THROAT, is therefore necessary, as is evaluation of whether the right things are being measured in
the right way. In relation to THROAT, it is important to involve staff in the reassessment process.