Nitschke Ina, Holter Martin, Sobotta Bernhard, Jockusch Julia
Gerodontology Section, Department of Prosthodontics and Materials Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Center for Gerontology & Healthy Longevity Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Eur J Dent Educ. 2025 May;29(2):356-366. doi: 10.1111/eje.13075. Epub 2025 Feb 17.
Young people, including dental students, generally have little experience with older people who suffer from multimorbidity with age-related functional and/or cognitive limitations. For this reason, the 'Gero-Parcours' (GP) as an educational instrument of multi-staging simulation teaching was developed for students to experience ageing and its limitation.
The GP consists of different stations (e.g., hearing and visual impairments, teeth brushing by third-party cleaners, emotion), which are completed within 15 minutes each by two students at the same time supervised by an educated professional. Students' assessment of the GP at the University of Leipzig, Germany between 2021 and 2024 was evaluated by using written questionnaires.
Student's experiences and perceptions of the GP highlighted its positive influence on their understanding of ageing. Most students stated that the course enriched their professional knowledge and dispelled misconceptions about ageing in patients. Some students expressed personal concerns about ageing. Students found the transfer from a wheelchair to a dental chair station most beneficial for their future work life, while the clinical nutrition station received the lowest rating.
The GP illustrates ageing with its limitations. The students and supervisors appreciated this practical training. However, when planning a GP, it is necessary to provide the necessary resources for the course. Students from the higher years can also be recruited and trained as supervisors.
The GP can be easily adapted to the number of students and supervisors as well as to the time available. As the students found the GP to be a helpful educational instrument, the authors recommend including it as mandatory in the dental education curriculum.
包括牙科学生在内的年轻人，通常很少接触患有多种疾病且伴有与年龄相关的功能和/或认知限制的老年人。因此，开发了“老年模拟课程”（GP）作为多阶段模拟教学的教育工具，让学生体验衰老及其局限性。
GP由不同的站点组成（例如，听力和视力障碍、由第三方清洁人员帮忙刷牙、情绪等），两名学生在一名受过培训的专业人员监督下，同时在15分钟内完成每个站点的体验。通过书面问卷对德国莱比锡大学2021年至2024年期间学生对GP的评估进行了评价。
学生对GP的体验和看法突出了其对他们理解衰老的积极影响。大多数学生表示，该课程丰富了他们的专业知识，并消除了对老年患者的误解。一些学生表达了对衰老的个人担忧。学生们发现从轮椅转移到牙科椅的站点对他们未来的工作最有益，而临床营养站点的评分最低。
GP展示了衰老及其局限性。学生和导师都对这种实践培训表示赞赏。然而，在规划GP时，有必要为该课程提供必要的资源。也可以招募高年级学生并将其培训为导师。
GP可以很容易地根据学生和导师的数量以及可用时间进行调整。由于学生们发现GP是一种有用的教育工具，作者建议将其作为牙科教育课程的必修课。
