Prof. Dr. Heinz RothgangProf. Dr. Heinz Rothgang
New research project focuses on the oral health of people in need of long-term care.

Following the approval, in December 2016, of €854.905 research funding for the healthcare research project "Needs-Based Provision of Medical Care to Nursing Home Residents (MVP-STAT)", funding for a further SOCIUM project has been approved by the Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) to the tune of €850.702. This project, applied for by Professor Rothgang in the second application phase for projects on new forms of health care, focuses on maintaining and improving oral health in non-residential long-term care dependents with a view to enhancing quality of life relating to oral hygiene by achieving freedom from pain, improving the ability to chew and swallow food and to speak, and thus improving social inclusion.

The three-year project will be conducted by SOCIUM in cooperation with the umbrella association of company health insurers (BKK Dachverband e.V.),  and the Competence Center for Clinical Trials Bremen (KKSB), with the participation of the dentists’ associations of Bremen and Lower Saxony, the Federal Association of Private Providers of Social Services (bpa), the Bremen Association of Social Welfare Organisations (LandesArbeitsGemeinschaft der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege Bremen/LAG), the German Society for Gerodontology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Alterszahnmedizin, DGAZ), and seven  sickness funds.

This pilot project comprises a pro-active dental survey of the oral health status of non-residential long-term care dependents, and the provision, by specially qualified dental employees, of prophylactic measures, including training and advice to carers.

At the University of Oldenburg this new form of health care provision will be evaluated, under the direction of Professor Falk Hoffmann, in a two-armed, randomized controlled study (RCT) using routine company health insurance data including primary and secondary data linkages.

From 2016-2019 the Innovation Committee of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA - the highest decision-making body of the joint self-government of physicians, dentists, hospitals and health insurance funds in Germany) is awarding €300m. in funding per year, that is, €225m. p.a. for research on new forms of health care and €75m. for healthcare research.

More information about the project:
Oral health in people in need of long-term care (MundPflege)


Contact:
Prof. Dr. Heinz Rothgang
SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy
Mary-Somerville-Straße 3
28359 Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-58557
E-Mail: rothgang@uni-bremen.de