Expanding on the professional role of dental hygienists as key managers of medical-dental and hospital-dental clinic collaboration in a local Japanese hospital without a dentistry department: From a questionnaire survey after a web seminar

Abstract

Introduction: Perioperative oral management (POM) was introduced into the Japanese universal health insurance system in 2012. Collaboration with dental clinics is important for hospitals without a dentistry department. A dental hygienist newly assigned as a member of the patient flow management centre led a seminar to promote collaboration via the web. This study represents the first step to explore the possible role of the hospital-based dental hygienist in the field of regional medical-dental cooperation of POM by assessing their willingness to participate in providing this type of care by a survey.

Methods: The rate of attendees' satisfaction and the current problems of the collaboration for POM were evaluated through a questionnaire survey after the web seminar.

Results: All respondents reported satisfaction with the web seminar although it was the first experience of an online seminar for half of the respondents. All hospital dentists, but only 47.8% of dentists working at clinics, had participated in POM. Dental hygienist tended to show greater desire to participate in POM than dentists. All respondents appreciated the role played by the dental hygienist as a key manager of medical-dental collaboration between the hospital and local clinics.

Conclusion: The hospital-based dental hygienist can play a role in planning and management of web seminars for POM, to raise awareness and promote regional medical-dental cooperation of POM.

Keywords: dental hygienist; medical-dental collaboration; online seminar; perioperative oral management.