Experience of primary dental care teams in managing the oral health of oncology patients.

Background: Estimates suggest that one in two people will experience cancer in their lifetime. Cancer and the treatment of cancer can have several impacts on oral health. It is therefore important that dental teams are supported in managing this group of patients especially in primary care dental settings, where most of these patients will first present to dental services. The aim of this study was to explore current practice and beliefs about managing patients with, or who have had, cancer in primary dental care settings.
Methods: Online focus groups consisting of dental professionals working in primary care dental settings in Scotland, were conducted. Areas explored included cancer types seen, perceived role, challenges, and areas where further support was desired. Data from focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Four focus groups were conducted with a total of fifteen participants. Themes identified related to the types of cancers seen in primary care dental settings; communication between dental and medical teams; patient experience; mixed healthcare messages; patient engagement with their healthcare; challenges in treatment planning; apprehension about what can safety managed in primary care; and wider system factors influencing the management of patients with, or who have had, cancer. Areas where support exists but further support is desired were also identified.
Conclusions: Challenges appear to exist in the provision of oral healthcare for patients with, or who have had, cancer. This study has indicated several areas where further support could be targeted. The results should be validated by further research.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This work is categorised as service development; therefore, NHS Ethics or research and development approval was not required. This work was conducted in accordance with the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research (NHS Health Research Authority, 2023) and the 2020 edition of the Governance Arrangements for Research Ethics Committees (NHS Health Research Authority, 2020). All participants read a participant information sheet and consented to their involvement in the study by completing a digital consent form. Consent for publication: All participants read a participant information sheet and completed a digital consent form which confirmed agreement to anonymised quotations being used in publications and presentations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)