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Abstract

Background: Due to current increased life expectancy, the quality of life (QoL) of senior patients is gaining in importance. The aims of this study were: to estimate QoL in a group of patients, aged above 64 years, that is cared for by general practitioners (GPs) in Krakow, Poland, and to find relation-ships between elements of QoL and the results of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and other important medical and social factors.
Methods: We designed a cross-sectional, questionnaire study among patients who attended GPs’ sur-geries from April 2018 to April 2019. To examine the patients, we used the Euro-Quality of Life Ques-tionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and eight scales forming CGA: the Activities of Daily Living, the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, Mini-Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, Mini Nutritional Assessment, Clinical Frailty Scale and Athens Insomnia Scale.
Results: The lowest QoL was observed in dimensions of pain/discomfort and mobility, where 70% and 52% of patients, respectively, reported problems in these areas. Only 91 (21%) respondents had highest results in all five dimensions of QoL. The average score in the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of the EQ-5D- 5L (representing self-rated health on a given day) was 62.36 ± 18.98 points. Statistically significant relationships were observed between QoL and age, physical activity and multimorbidity (in all cases p <0.001). The results of QoL were correlated with every aspect of CGA, while the strongest relationship was noticed between scores in the EQ-5D-5L VAS scale and scales assessing depression and frailty (p <0.001; r = –0.57 both).
Conclusions: Our study showed that in senior patients in Krakow QoL was relatively high. Seniors mostly complained of pain/discomfort and problems with mobility. Moreover, dimensions of QoL were connected with the results of CGA. During visits, GPs should specifically question patients about the above mentioned aspects of QoL.
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Authors and Affiliations

Anna Pachołek
1 2
Eliza Siemaszko-Oniszczuk
3
Joanna Mierzwa
4
Anna Wróbel
5
Karolina Piotrowicz
6
Jerzy Gąsowski
6
Tomasz Tomasik
1 2

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
  2. The College of Family Physicians in Poland
  3. Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Diseases, University Clinical Hospital, Białystok, Poland
  4. Second Department of Internal Diseases, Dietl Specialist Hospital, Krakow, Poland
  5. Department of Internal Diseases, City Hospital of Ruda Śląska, Ruda Śląska, Poland
  6. Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
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Abstract

Purpose: Oral health and diseases are significant components of general health. However, oral health-care remains at the lowest of older patients’ priorities. The inability to obtain dental care can result in progression of dental disease, leading to a diminished quality of life and overall health. Teledentistry (TD) provides an opportunity to improve the quality of oral health services. The aim of our narrative review was to analyze the usefulness of teledentistry as a part of telemedicine to improve oral health in the elderly.
Materials/Methods: The PubMed database search was done for: teledentistry, oral health, oral- health related diseases, elderly, older adults.
Results: The applicability of TD has been demonstrated from children to older adults. Older adults have many obstacles in getting oral health care, including low income, lack health insurance, frailty, anxiety, depression, mobility problems or other handicaps. Available data suggests that the usefulness of TD in the provision of oral care in elderly people living in residential aged care facilities. Moreover, TD procedures were found to be as accurate as traditional face-to-face dental examinations, they was cost-effective and well accepted among patients and caregivers.
Conclusions: TD might be a very useful tool for professional education, improving access and patient satisfaction of dental care. However, such TD modes would be difficult to widely implementation in community-dwelling older people who cannot access dental care. The ongoing “Patient centric solution for smart and sustainable healthcare (ACESO)” project will add to the intelligent oral health solutions.
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Authors and Affiliations

Barbara Gryglewska
1 2
Ian Perera
2
Ewa Klimek
1 2
Małgorzata Fedyk-Łukasik
1 2
Karolina Piotrowicz
1 2
Irina Mocanu
3
Ligia Muntianu
4
Jerzy Gąsowski
1 2

  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
  2. University Hospital, Kraków, Poland
  3. Centrul IT Pentru Stiinta si Tehnologie, and Computer Science Department, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
  4. UMF Carol Davila Bucharest Faculty of Dental Medicine, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Bucharest, Romania

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