Evaluation of a Training Manual for the Early Detection of Intraoral Pathologies Secondary to Smokeless Tobacco Use

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a training manual developed for speech-language pathologists for providing education and early detection of oral health problems secondary to smokeless tobacco use. The training manual content, based on the curriculum objectives and oral pathology detection by speech-language pathologists, was evaluated in two phases. Phase I assessed the curriculum objectives, using a pretest/post-test evaluation, and assessed the clinical implementation by means of an oral screening of high school baseball team members. Phase I demonstrated mastery of the training manual content but a need for further training of speech-language pathologists in clinical detection of oral lesions. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among the baseball team members was 46%, and oral pathologies were present in 27% of the players. Phase II evaluated the training manual used with improved clinical identification training of oral lesions secondary to smokeless tobacco use. Phase II also showed mastery of the curriculum objectives of the training manual, and showed improved clinical detection of oral lesions.

Key Words: tobacco, leukoplakia, cancer, screening, speech-language pathologist

Submitted on August 15, 1994
Accepted on May 11, 1995

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