総合病院入院患者の歯科口腔保健に関する全国調査

—口腔内の現状と口腔機能管理に関する意識調査—

抄録

Introduction: Oral healthcare management during hospitalization has been widely practiced; however, the outcomes are not always favorable. This indicates that oral conditions and problems associated with the needs of patients should be analyzed accurately. Thus, the Japanese Stomatological Society conducted an extensive survey targeting inpatients in general hospitals, aiming to comprehensively investigate the current status of oral functions and needs concerning oral healthcare management, and to enhance the current dental care system.
Methods: Data was collected using a questionnaire survey of patients who received treatment in general hospitals in either November 2017 or January 2018.
Results: The survey was conducted and a total of 2,280 valid responses （1,223 men and 1,057 women） were received from 26 medical and dental institutions. The mean age was 57.3 years and the mean length of hospital stay was 15.6 days, with a median of 9.0 days. At the time of discharge, 72.2% of patients had subjective symptoms related to the oral cavity. In contrast, the proportion of patients who saw a dentist during hospitalization was low （18.2%）. The oral health of the hospitalized patients included common dental diseases, such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and diseases related to dental prostheses, but also those of oral dysfunctions, such as dry mouth, taste disorder, and difficulty in swallowing. Regarding diet type, 11.3% of the patients could not ingest a regular diet at the time of discharge. Of those, 82.6% wished to improve their diet type, and 67.5% believed that they could have their desired diet type if they improved their oral health condition. In terms of community cooperation after discharge, 80.5% of patients had a family dentist and only 46.1% of them visited their dentist on a regular basis.
Discussion: This research indicated that many inpatients suffered from oral health problems and needed proper management. However, due to short hospitalization duration, there were limited opportunities to consult and undergo aggressive treatments for most inpatients, suggesting that there are serious issues to be resolved. Dental professionals, experts in diagnosis and treatment planning for oral care, should also contribute through extensive participation in diet and nutrition management. The data suggests that enhanced functional alliance between dentists and attending medical teams （i.e. medical doctors and other medical staff） and education of patients seeking their desired treatment during hospitalization itself would be crucial for the effective management of oral function during hospitalization. This could also lead to the maintenance of healthy oral functions at home.