Integrated person-centred care process (GAPA) through team-based oral health assessments together with older adults and dental and municipal care personnel

Specific questions: Oral health is a human right and important for healthy ageing.

The project will evaluate a new, person-centred working model – GAPA – which includes older adults as well as dental and municipal care personnel.

GAPA involves a cross-organisational oral health assessment with a shared digital platform for documentation and coordination of existing systems. Poor oral health is a global public health problem, and oral diseases have a negative impact on quality of life.

People in need of care tend to lose their previous regular dental care contact, which places high demands on collaboration between dental and municipal care. Oral health care is often neglected, with shortcomings in knowledge, attitudes and routines.

Different organisational structures such as medical record systems and education present obstacles to collaboration between dental and municipal care. Organisational boundaries entail insufficient collaboration, endangering health.

The aim is to evaluate a person-centred, team-based model for oral health planning in the home environment, supported by a digital platform for healthy ageing.

The overall research question is: How can a new team-based work model enable person-centred collaboration in oral health care with older people in home settings?

Data and methods: GAPA is planned to be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial in the Public Dental Service of Västra Götaland in collaboration with municipal organisations.

Societal relevance and utilisation: Today’s regulated financial dental care system, the oral health care remuneration programme, is offered to people with major care needs. It includes a free annual oral health assessment by dental and municipal care personnel. Research shows that the integration of knowledge from the assessments is inadequate and that follow-up is scarce.

Plan for project realisation: GAPA is based on the oral health care remuneration programme and has been designed in collaboration with older adults, academic institutions, healthcare providers within the Public Dental Service and municipal organisations.

Primary outcomes are measured with validated instruments for assessing objective oral health and oral health–related quality of life.

The project responds to international and national calls for action regarding person-centred oral health models for older adults.

The application intends to cover salaries for project managers, postdocs and coordinators, guaranteeing scientific height.