IADR Abstract Archives
An Interprofessional Geriatric Assessment Project for Dental Undergraduate Students
Objectives: Demographic changes lead to an increasingly elderly population in Germany. Thus, the number of elderly in need of dental care is constantly rising. Care of older people with complex health needs often require knowledge from multiple disciplines. Theoretical and practical learning in geriatric dentistry at dental schools is very important for young dentists to meet the special needs of older adults. Only a few universities in Germany incorporate geriatric dentistry into their curricula.
Methods: An Interprofessional geriatric Assessment Project (IgAP) was developed in which students of dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and nursing participated. Each group consisted of four students with one from each profession. The students performed various subject-specific assessments on geriatric patients in retirement homes. Dental students evaluated the oral health status using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). The assessment findings were presented in small groups and individual treatment recommendations for each patient were proposed. The outcome of each profession was discussed within the interprofessional group of all students and with medical professionals. A survey was conducted at the end.
Results: The results of the survey showed that most dental students felt more comfortable regarding the treatment of geriatric patients after participating in the project (94.7%), became more familiar with the challenges faced by dentists providing dental care to vulnerable patients and considered the interprofessional collaboration very helpful (89.5%). All students were interested in further projects related to geriatric dentistry.
Conclusions: This project allows dental students to learn with, from and about other health professionals in order to improve collaboration and the quality of care. The dental students feel encouraged and motivated to provide oral health care for elderly with special health care needs.
Methods: An Interprofessional geriatric Assessment Project (IgAP) was developed in which students of dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and nursing participated. Each group consisted of four students with one from each profession. The students performed various subject-specific assessments on geriatric patients in retirement homes. Dental students evaluated the oral health status using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). The assessment findings were presented in small groups and individual treatment recommendations for each patient were proposed. The outcome of each profession was discussed within the interprofessional group of all students and with medical professionals. A survey was conducted at the end.
Results: The results of the survey showed that most dental students felt more comfortable regarding the treatment of geriatric patients after participating in the project (94.7%), became more familiar with the challenges faced by dentists providing dental care to vulnerable patients and considered the interprofessional collaboration very helpful (89.5%). All students were interested in further projects related to geriatric dentistry.
Conclusions: This project allows dental students to learn with, from and about other health professionals in order to improve collaboration and the quality of care. The dental students feel encouraged and motivated to provide oral health care for elderly with special health care needs.