Preventive Dentistry Research Center, Research Institute of Dental Sciences, Dental School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran; Community Oral Health Department, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Community Oral Health Department, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
East Mediterr Health J. 2018 Mar 5;23(12):802-808. doi: 10.26719/2017.23.12.802.
The primary healthcare (PHC) services in the Islamic Republic of Iran have succeeded in addressing high levels of communicable diseases; however, they seem less able to deal with maternal and paediatric oral diseases. The aim of this study was to examine problems in integrating oral health services into PHC. This was a qualitative research study comprising focus group discussions and interviews. Five focus-group discussions were held with midwives, family healthcare practitioners, rural PHC workers, duty-service dentists, and public health dentists. Also, individual interviews were organized with experts of faculty members in related fields, informant managers and policy makers, and in-depth interviews were done with pregnant women in four PHC centres. Audiotapes were transcribed following each session, and then a qualitative thematic analysis was carried out on gathered data. Data analysis resulted in 4 main themes relating to the challenges: environmental, educational, organizational and school-based programme factors. This study provides a clearer understanding of the challenges of integrating oral health services into PHC.
伊朗伊斯兰共和国的初级医疗保健（PHC）服务成功解决了高发传染病问题；然而，在处理母婴和儿科口腔疾病方面，它们的能力似乎较弱。本研究旨在探讨将口腔卫生服务纳入 PHC 所面临的问题。这是一项定性研究，包括焦点小组讨论和访谈。与助产士、家庭保健医生、农村 PHC 工作人员、值班牙医和公共卫生牙医进行了五次焦点小组讨论。此外，还与相关领域的专家、信息管理人员和政策制定者进行了个人访谈，并在四个 PHC 中心对孕妇进行了深入访谈。每次会议后都会转录录音，然后对收集到的数据进行定性主题分析。数据分析得出了与挑战相关的 4 个主要主题：环境、教育、组织和学校为基础的方案因素。本研究更清楚地了解了将口腔卫生服务纳入 PHC 所面临的挑战。
