2020 Volume 69 Issue 4 Pages 330-337
Regarding the importance of medical and dental cooperation from the viewpoint of dental oral health, this paper introduces examples of cases that the author has experienced at the prefectural (prefectural government) and community (public health center) levels, and discusses the requirements for smooth medical and dental cooperation, which is currently recognized as important.
In order to facilitate multi-job cooperation centered on medical and dental care, regardless of prefecture or region, we should clarify (1) who, (2) with whom (object), (3) what (the theme of cooperation), and (4) how (methods and strategies of cooperation), and refrain from hindering the interests of the other party by focusing only on achieving one’s own purpose. Thus, it is important to explore strategies that can yield the maximum effect after sufficiently fostering mutual trust through dialogue, and understanding the conditions and constraints that are placed on each party.
Moreover, from the standpoint of completing the first semester of the Division of Health and Welfare Administration field (basic) of the National Institute of Public Health, the author describes cases in which the training provided in the course was helpful for the actual work of health center directors, and conducted an opinion survey of dentists who work as directors of public health centers in Japan, regarding both outcomes and perceived issues.
According to the survey results, the most common motivation for attending specialized courses was a “recommendation from the local government to which you belong.” Furthermore, the training subjects that were helpful for business were “Introduction to Health and Welfare Administration,” “Health Statistics,” “Organizational Management and Operation,” “Epidemiology,” “Community Health,” “Social Research Theory,” and “Health Crisis Management.”
As for the good points of working as a director of a public health center, there were opinions such as “I have obtained a broad perspective on public health in general,” “I can tackle various issues in the community,” “The network in the community has expanded,” and “I can hold discussions with the chief of the municipality on an equal footing.” However, regarding difficulties, one respondent said, “I need to demonstrate that dentists can fulfill the duties of directors of public health centers,” while another respondent said that, “I am struggling with tasks that require a medical license.”
Concerning the systems and training that are useful for junior dentists to perform the duties of the director of a public health center, many respondents suggested that they need to have a range of business experience in various fields, which are not limited to dental health. In addition, other opinions such as “implementation of selective training to reinforce work for which there is scant experience” and “learning through actual public health work” were also obtained.
