title: [Team Approaches for and Future Challenges to Promoting Perioperative Oral Management].
abstract: When the medical fee system was revised in 2012, the category of perioperative oral management was newly organized. However, the calculation of additional fees for such management required referral from medical to dental departments. In addition, requests for such management were limited, possibly owing to an increased burden on doctors engaged in outpatient services. This study examined the usefulness of an approach to promote patients' use of dental services by increasing their awareness of the importance of oral management. In this approach, pharmacists explained doctors' instructions to patients at a chemotherapy center within the study facility. Explanations were provided to 114 patients, 75 (65.8%) of whom subsequently used dental services in the facility. For patients using dental services, oral care was performed most frequently (40; 53.3%), followed by invasive procedures (23; 30.7%). Furthermore, the facility's ethics committee approved a survey to measure the satisfaction of patients undergoing chemotherapy at the center. Of the 110 patients invited to participate in the survey, 77(70.0%) did not respond. Researchers concluded the low response rate was associated with patients' belief that dental services were intended primarily for treating oral cavities and their lack of awareness of the importance of preventive dental care. However, in 2014, the number of calculations of additional fees for perioperative oral management markedly increased each month after the above-mentioned approach, from 62 (January) to 162 (December). Both the hospital-to family and family-to-hospital dentist referral rates significantly increased, from 11.2% and 10.7%, respectively (June 2013), to 21.0% and 41.9%, respectively(June 2014). Future evaluations of the outcomes of perioperative oral management and promoting cooperation between medical and dental communities may be necessary.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pharmacy, Hitachi General Hospital.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aimono
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamoshida
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Risa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Sakiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Tsunehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aoyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010348:Patient Care Team; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D024382:Professional Role; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult