Improving Interprofessional Collaboration among Primary Care Professionals Regarding Oral Health for Frail Home-Dwelling Older People

Background: Despite older people being at increased risk for worsening oral health, dental attendance in Europe declines after the age of 65, leading to a significant burden of untreated oral diseases. Additionally, the oral health (OH) of frail home-dwelling older people (FHOP) is often not prioritised by primary care professionals (PCP’s). In contrast, literature indicates that once frailty is detected, effective interprofessional collaboration is needed to prevent this group from disengaging from the oral healthcare system. 

Approach: To enhance interprofessional collaboration among PCPs regarding oral health, an intervention targeting general practitioners, community pharmacists, and oral health professionals was developed as part of the Gerodent Plus project. The development process was guided by the Intervention Mapping Approach and preceded by a comprehensive needs analysis that integrated insights from the literature with own research, including focus groups and a survey conducted among PCPs. The slightly adjusted Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) model was used, leading to an intervention for PCPs that addresses determinants facilitating interprofessional collaboration regarding OH.

Results: Based on the identified determinants, the following programme outcomes were formulated that we aimed to achieve with the intervention for PCPs: encouraging them to (1) engage in oral health discussions with FHOP and their informal caregivers, (2) document assistance needs in electronic records, and (3) activate the network of FHOP if oral health problems are detected. Furthermore, the aim was to encourage oral health professionals to (1) educate themselves on establishing dental practices that are accessible and ‘friendly’ for older people, (2) provide guidance on good oral care, and (3) proactively schedule follow-up visits.

The following intervention components were developed to achieve these goals: (1) an e-learning module, (2) ‘living room conversations’, and (3) a decision tree notebook to guide PCPs in interprofessional collaboration on OH for FHOP. The intervention was piloted in four primary care zones in Flanders, Belgium, between January and March 2025.

Implications: This intervention aimed at PCPs aims to improve interprofessional collaboration concerning oral health for FHOP. Following the completion of this pilot study, it will be evaluated and refined accordingly, after which the intervention – or successful elements of it – can be more widely implemented.