TEGO: A new concept of teledentistry for the elderly through a web platform and mobile app in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Objective: To develop a new concept of teledentistry for the elderly through a web platform and associated mobile application in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: A new concept for attention via teledentistry of the elderly supported by the web platform/app TEGO (Acronym for Tele-platform of Geriatric and Dental Specialties in Spanish) was developed. Priority and urgent dental care for elderly patients in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was provided onboard a mobile dental clinic equipped with all the necessary conventional dental care facilities as well as state-of-the-art digital technology. Dental care was carried out in five cities of Chile. For the study, 135 elderly patients were treated. The tele-dental care model includes visit-appointment and remote interconsultation with a staff of specialists. To evaluate patient satisfaction aspects, regarding the service / care provided, a user satisfaction survey was applied. Results: A total of 68 questionnaires were completed by patients. The results showed high levels of patients’ satisfaction after the priority or urgent dental care, which reached above 75% in all dimensions of the questionnaire (Access to dental care, user treatment, platform, recommendation). Conclusion: The generation of a technological eco-system for teledentistry can provide a series of important advantages in the attention of elderly patients, by optimizing the dental care coverage by different specialists who can provide attention to a population that has limited or no access to them.
References
[2]. Aquilanti L, Santarelli A, Mascitti M, Procaccini M, Rappelli G. Dental Care Access and the Elderly: What Is the Role of Teledentistry? A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 4;17(23):9053. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17239053. PMID: 33291719; PMCID: PMC7729836.
[3]. Al-Khalifa KS, AlSheikh R. Teledentistry awareness among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. PLoS One. 2020 Oct 15;15(10):e0240825. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240825. PMID: 33057381; PMCID: PMC7561132.
[4]. Almazrooa SA, Mansour GA, Alhamed SA, Ali SA, Akeel SK, Alhindi NA, Felemban OM, Mawardi HH, Binmadi NO. The application of teledentistry for Saudi patients' care: A national survey study. J Dent Sci. 2021 Jan;16(1):280-286. doi: 10.1016/j.jds.2020.04.014. Epub 2020 May 19. PMID: 33384810; PMCID: PMC7770252.
[5]. Esterle L, Mathieu-Fritz A. Teleconsultation in geriatrics: impact on professional practice. Int J Med Inform. 2013 Aug;82(8):684-95. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2013.04.006. Epub 2013 Jun 6. PMID: 23746716.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. © 2023.