Medical health care professionals' assessments of oral health needs in children with disabilities: a qualitative study.

• Good collaboration between medical and dental care is essential to provide not only good oral health care, but also more holistic care for children with disabilities. The aim was to explore and describe medical health care professionals' assessments and considerations of orofacial problems and treatment needs in children with disabilities and in their families. In-depth interviews focusing on orofacial function were carried out with 17 medical health care employees. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed in open and focused (selective) coding processes according to grounded theory. A core category was identified and named focusing on basic needs, showing that oral health care assessment was not on the agenda of medical health care professionals, but was instead viewed as a responsibility of parents or dentists. This study shows that oral health issues are not fully integrated in the medical care of children with disabilities. The omission of oral health issues from the medical agenda implies a risk of oral health problems in children with disabilities. To put the oral cavity and oral health on the medical agenda, dentists need to influence the undergraduate training of medical professionals and to initiate co-operation with the medical care system.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Odontologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Dentistry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Adult

Attitude of Health Personnel

Child

Child Health Services

Delivery of Health Care

Integrated

Dental Care for Children

Dental Care for Disabled

Dentists

Disabled Children

Education

Medical

Female

Health Personnel

Health Resources

Humans

Interprofessional Relations

Interviews as Topic

Male

Middle Aged

Needs Assessment

Oral Health

Parents

Professional-Family Relations

Resource Allocation

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)