Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs
ABSTRACT Background People with complex social and medical needs require a high level of support and face multiple barriers in accessing health and social care services. With limited access to dental care, their high oral health needs go largely unaddressed. Integration of oral healthcare into prima...
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| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Health Expectations |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70243 |
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| author | Afsha Musa Joelle Booth Hannah Wheat Robert Witton Martha Paisi |
| author_facet | Afsha Musa Joelle Booth Hannah Wheat Robert Witton Martha Paisi |
| author_sort | Afsha Musa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Background People with complex social and medical needs require a high level of support and face multiple barriers in accessing health and social care services. With limited access to dental care, their high oral health needs go largely unaddressed. Integration of oral healthcare into primary care, alongside improved cross‐sector working, has been advocated to bring together services across the system to achieve oral health equity. Aim To explore the factors affecting integration of dental services into health and social care for people with complex needs. Methods A qualitative research study was undertaken across two sites in the southwest of England, involving pathways designed to address the oral health needs of those with complex needs. Semi‐structured interviews took place with three groups: patients with experience of each pathway, service providers and community support staff. These interviews were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Results Forty‐two individuals (15 males and 27 females) agreed to participate in the study. Key themes included (i) the need for services to be co‐developed according to population need, (ii) for service coordination to be managed by a central hub, (iii) the important role of support workers and (iv) the requirement for collaboration between organisations to develop multi‐agency pathways of communication. Conclusion The objectives of integration should be addressed at all stages of service planning from design to delivery of the pathway. To develop integrated dental care pathways, it is recommended that a codesign approach is used harnessing community expertise, patient experience and the involvement of all service providers in the planning process. Patient and Public Involvement Statement The authors were guided by the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise Community Clinic Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group, which includes people with lived experience of complex social and medical needs and those supporting them, who meet twice yearly as a focus group. The group explored aspects of the services offered to this cohort to aid the identification of research aims and outcomes for the study. Further to this, the original interview guides were reviewed and edited by a community link worker. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf0321f7dfc242db99d543f979fd802c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1369-6513 1369-7625 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Expectations |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf0321f7dfc242db99d543f979fd802c2025-08-20T01:53:11ZengWileyHealth Expectations1369-65131369-76252025-04-01282n/an/a10.1111/hex.70243Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex NeedsAfsha Musa0Joelle Booth1Hannah Wheat2Robert Witton3Martha Paisi4Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC, Peninsula Dental School University of Plymouth Plymouth UKPeninsula Dental School, Faculty of Health University of Plymouth Plymouth UKPeninsula Medical School, Faculty of Health University of Plymouth Plymouth UKPeninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC, Peninsula Dental School University of Plymouth Plymouth UKPeninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC, Peninsula Dental School University of Plymouth Plymouth UKABSTRACT Background People with complex social and medical needs require a high level of support and face multiple barriers in accessing health and social care services. With limited access to dental care, their high oral health needs go largely unaddressed. Integration of oral healthcare into primary care, alongside improved cross‐sector working, has been advocated to bring together services across the system to achieve oral health equity. Aim To explore the factors affecting integration of dental services into health and social care for people with complex needs. Methods A qualitative research study was undertaken across two sites in the southwest of England, involving pathways designed to address the oral health needs of those with complex needs. Semi‐structured interviews took place with three groups: patients with experience of each pathway, service providers and community support staff. These interviews were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis. Results Forty‐two individuals (15 males and 27 females) agreed to participate in the study. Key themes included (i) the need for services to be co‐developed according to population need, (ii) for service coordination to be managed by a central hub, (iii) the important role of support workers and (iv) the requirement for collaboration between organisations to develop multi‐agency pathways of communication. Conclusion The objectives of integration should be addressed at all stages of service planning from design to delivery of the pathway. To develop integrated dental care pathways, it is recommended that a codesign approach is used harnessing community expertise, patient experience and the involvement of all service providers in the planning process. Patient and Public Involvement Statement The authors were guided by the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise Community Clinic Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group, which includes people with lived experience of complex social and medical needs and those supporting them, who meet twice yearly as a focus group. The group explored aspects of the services offered to this cohort to aid the identification of research aims and outcomes for the study. Further to this, the original interview guides were reviewed and edited by a community link worker.https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70243complex needsdentalinclusion healthintegrationoral healthpublic health |
| spellingShingle | Afsha Musa Joelle Booth Hannah Wheat Robert Witton Martha Paisi Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs Health Expectations complex needs dental inclusion health integration oral health public health |
| title | Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs |
| title_full | Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs |
| title_fullStr | Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs |
| title_short | Factors Affecting the Integration of Dental Services Into Health and Social Care for People With Complex Needs |
| title_sort | factors affecting the integration of dental services into health and social care for people with complex needs |
| topic | complex needs dental inclusion health integration oral health public health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70243 |
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