Gritzer Lauren, Alqaderi Hend, Puli Anshul, Friedman Michael, Jeong Subin, Bencheikh Narjes, Kim Sophie, Dinh Yen, Outlaw Jason, Swann Brian
University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA.
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Gerodontology. 2025 Jun;42(2):233-245. doi: 10.1111/ger.12788. Epub 2024 Aug 27.
Evaluate oral health care access and utilisation, while identifying the specific oral health needs of the Native American Elders within the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (WTGH) on Martha's Vineyard Island.
Elders, particularly the WTGH face notable issues in obtaining oral health care. This study addressed the oral health gaps within the WTGH Elders through a comprehensive community needs assessment.
Employing a mixed-methods approach, qualitative concept mapping interviews with stakeholders and tribe members, a quantitative survey was conducted, and deidentified billing codes were analysed.
Concept mapping revealed limited availability of services, accessibility and transportation, insurance challenges, lack of a centralised database, tribal/national policy and health-related self-sufficiency. Quantitative data indicated that 65% of Elders faced challenges in accessing oral health care, and 48% reported experiencing an oral health issue in the last 12 months. Additionally, 23% did not receive oral health care during this period, with a significant portion having previously utilised services at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital Oral Health Clinic.
Establishing a formal relationship between the WTGH and an academic institution for creating a portable oral health clinic supervised by faculty and developing a structured referral system is essential. This initiative aims to dismantle barriers to oral health care, improve access, and meet the oral health needs among Elders while offering valuable educational experiences for students regarding diverse patient populations and access-to-care factors.
评估口腔卫生保健的可及性和利用率，同时确定玛莎葡萄园岛盖伊角万帕诺亚格部落（WTGH）内美国原住民老年人的具体口腔健康需求。
老年人，尤其是WTGH在获得口腔卫生保健方面面临显著问题。本研究通过全面的社区需求评估解决了WTGH老年人的口腔健康差距问题。
采用混合方法，对利益相关者和部落成员进行定性概念映射访谈，开展定量调查，并分析去识别化的计费代码。
概念映射揭示了服务的有限可用性、可及性和交通、保险挑战、缺乏集中数据库、部落/国家政策以及与健康相关的自给自足问题。定量数据表明，65%的老年人在获得口腔卫生保健方面面临挑战，48%的人报告在过去12个月中经历过口腔健康问题。此外，23%的人在此期间未接受口腔卫生保健，其中很大一部分人此前曾在玛莎葡萄园医院口腔健康诊所使用过服务。
WTGH与学术机构建立正式关系，以创建由教师监督的便携式口腔健康诊所并开发结构化转诊系统至关重要。该倡议旨在消除口腔卫生保健障碍，改善可及性，满足老年人的口腔健康需求，同时为学生提供有关不同患者群体和医疗服务可及性因素的宝贵教育经验。
