The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #62472

Sandra Nagel Beebe, RDH, PhD, Health Care Professions, Dental Hygiene, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 69 Roosevelt Rd., Carbondale, IL 62901, 618-529-7591, sbeebe@siu.edu and Thomas H. Beebe, PhD, Office of Military Programs, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Mailcode 6828, Carbondale, IL 62901-6828.

The aging population is a major force shaping health care policy. Legislative changes are directly dependent on surveys that examine perception of need. Although surveys may reflect how people feel, they may not be good indicators of need. If senior populations no longer perceive the need for regular dental care, they are likely to give responses that reinforce this notion, independent of actual need.

To examine how external factors might influence how people rate their own oral health needs, it is necessary to understand the differences between perceived and actual reports of oral health care needs. By comparing assessments of oral health care among those who correctly and incorrectly identify their oral needs, it is possible to investigate whether the perceptions are perpetuated by how people respond to questions assessing their need for care.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Prioritize patient needs versus perceptions.
• 2. Identify those patients in need of oral care.
• 3. Articulate the need for regular oral care to senior citizens.

Keywords: Oral Health, Elderly

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.