Mouradian Wendy E, Corbin Stephen B
University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA.
J Dent Educ. 2003 Dec;67(12):1320-6.
This article introduces the second group in a series of articles in this journal on dental-medical collaborations to reduce oral health disparities. This group targets the needs of the elderly and individuals with mental retardation, developmental disabilities, and other special health problems. Five themes are common to these populations: the importance of oral-systemic interactions and need for interprofessional collaboration in care and training; the possibility of diminished mental and motor capacities and ability to provide self-care; difficulty accessing appropriate dental care; complex social and cultural factors; and the lack of a sufficient evidence base on basic mechanisms and clinical interventions. Gaps in training of dental, medical, and other health professionals contribute to disparities. Few programs provide integrated, interdisciplinary approaches, despite the growing numbers of elderly and the increasing life span of individuals with developmental disabilities. The inability of many such individuals to advocate for themselves, limitations in financial mechanisms, and societal biases fuel health disparities. These articles propose recommendations for key changes in dental and other health professional training, advocate increased commitment to special populations in research agendas, and encourage collaboration across health professions and with community and advocacy groups. A strong emphasis on prevention must be a part of these changes.
本文介绍了本杂志一系列关于牙医学与医学合作以减少口腔健康差异的文章中的第二篇。这一组文章关注老年人以及智力迟钝、发育障碍和其他特殊健康问题患者的需求。这些人群有五个共同主题：口腔与全身相互作用的重要性以及护理和培训中跨专业合作的必要性；心理和运动能力下降以及自我护理能力降低的可能性；获得适当牙科护理的困难；复杂的社会和文化因素；以及缺乏关于基本机制和临床干预的充分证据基础。牙科、医学和其他卫生专业人员培训方面的差距导致了差异。尽管老年人数量不断增加，发育障碍患者的寿命不断延长，但很少有项目采用综合、跨学科的方法。许多这类患者无法为自己争取权益、财务机制的限制以及社会偏见加剧了健康差异。这些文章针对牙科和其他卫生专业培训的关键变革提出了建议，主张在研究议程中增加对特殊人群的投入，并鼓励卫生专业之间以及与社区和倡导团体的合作。必须大力强调预防，这应成为这些变革的一部分。
