@inproceedings{01J7XHKD66EWKE9F1RVPA0XEY9,
  abstract     = {{Objective:

After the age of 65, dental attendance decreases in Europe, resulting in a high burden of 
untreated oral disease. Furthermore, oral health (OH) of frail home-dwelling older people is 
often not considered a priority among primary care professionals (PCP’s). In contrast, 
literature indicates that once frailty is detected, interprofessional collaboration is needed to 
avoid the drop-out of this group from the oral healthcare system. This study aims to gain 
insights into the experienced needs and barriers of PCP’s for interprofessional collaboration 
on OH for frail home-dwelling older people. 

Methods:

Focus groups (n=20) were organized in 2023 in Belgium, engaging thirteen professional 
groups: dentists, dental hygienists, general practitioners, pharmacists, speech therapists, 
physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, home nurses, home care workers, social 
workers and cleaning aids. 
The following topics were discussed: (1) importance of OH within their profession, (2) current 
practices regarding interprofessional collaboration, (3) perceived needs and barriers for 
interprofessional collaboration, (4) ideal organization of OH for frail home-dwelling older 
people. 
All focus groups were transcribed followed by thematic analysis in Nvivo. 

Results:

Micro: Participants (other than OH professionals) admitted to pay little attention to OH. Often 
mentioned reasons were lack of knowledge and the assumption that OH is no priority for frail 
older people. 
Meso: Interprofessional collaboration is complicated due to unclear responsibilities regarding 
oral healthcare (e.g. who is responsible for the daily oral hygiene of frail older people) and 
the lack of a communication platform for PCP’s. 
Macro: The shortage of dentists is perceived as a major problem. Furthermore, participants 
stressed the need for OH campaigns and financial incentives for interprofessional 
collaboration (e.g. compensation for multidisciplinary consultations).
 
Conclusion:

Efforts are required at all levels of care to improve interprofessional collaboration on OH for 
frail home-dwelling older people. Raising awareness and knowledge about OH among PCP’s 
is a crucial initial step.}},
  author       = {{Hoste, Natalie and Baele, Ellen and De Vleeschauwer, Aster and Mertens, Fien and Poppe, Louise and Janssens, Barbara and Pype, Peter}},
  booktitle    = {{2024 IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session & Exhibition, Abstracts}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  location     = {{New Orleans, LA, USA}},
  pages        = {{1}},
  title        = {{Interprofessional collaboration on oral health for frail home-dwelling older people}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}