Survey of hospital doctors' attitudes and knowledge of oral conditions in older patients

Citation
R. Morgan et al., Survey of hospital doctors' attitudes and knowledge of oral conditions in older patients, POSTG MED J, 77(908), 2001, pp. 392-394
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine
Journal title
POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL
ISSN journal
00325473 → ACNP
Volume
77
Issue
908
Year of publication
2001
Pages
392 - 394
Database
ISI
SICI code
0032-5473(200106)77:908<392:SOHDAA>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
The study was designed to assess the views and knowledge of hospital doctor s in general and geriatric medicine on oral health in older people. Eighty two doctors in general and geriatric medicine at two hospitals were shown 1 2 colour slides of oral mucosal conditions and asked to give a diagnosis fo r each slide and complete a questionnaire. Completed questionnaires with th e answers to the coloured slides were returned completed by 70 doctors. The majority of doctors (84%) felt it was important to examine older patien ts' mouths, however only 19% (chi (2) p=0.0001) routinely do so. If asked t o prescribe nystatin by the nursing staff, 30% said they would do so withou t examining the mouth itself. Only 9% of doctors knew that wearing dentures was a specific risk factor for oral candidiasis (chi (2) p=0.001) Altogeth er 56% of doctors did not feel confident in examining the oral cavity and m ost (77%) did not think they had had sufficient training in this examinatio n. Only two doctors correctly diagnosed all of the slides. An early squamou s carcinoma was misdiagnosed by 80% of the doctors (chi (2) p=0.0001). Hospital doctors do not routinely inspect older patients' mouths. Even if s hown slides of typical oral mucosal lesions many hospital doctors are unabl e to diagnose them. Issues on training need to be addressed. From the patie nts' point of view a public health campaign is required to educate older pe ople on the need for a regular dental review and be aware that doctors may not be able to diagnose serious oral conditions.