Proposal for a guideline for the description of oral lesions as a support tool for profes-sional communication in Oral Medicine

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30979/rev.abeno.v15i3.179

Keywords:

Primary Health Care. Secondary Care. Guideline. Oral Medicine. Referral and Con-sultation.

Abstract

Good written communication is an essential skill for the exchange of information between health professionals. In the context of Brazilian National Health Service, this exchange occurs via referral and reply letters. With regard to oral lesions that require evaluation in secondary care, referral letters allow the assessment of clinical need and the urgency for consultation with the oral health specialist. These factors determine the access priority in the secondary health system. The lack of details and conciseness of the referral letters impacts the patient flow throughout the healthcare levels and hence the quality of healthcare services. In order to improve the quality of information of the referral letters to specialists in Oral  Medicine  in  the  Greater Florianopolis city, Santa Catarina, Brazil, a guideline for supporting the description of oral lesions - the OralDESC – has been developed. The guideline is being used in the courses related to oral diagnosis consultations at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. This paper extends the analysis of the problem, discussing some challenges for the implementation of the referral procedures in Brazil as well as the difficulties reported in the country and in other countries regarding the quality of referral letters. Additionally, the paper provides views of some authors on the educational potential of referral and reply letters and the necessity of training health students for written communication. The authors share some thoughts about the need for inclusion of activities in the Brazilian Dentistry curricula aiming at developing communication skills in the students so as to prepare them to work in multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams.

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Author Biographies

Maria Inês Meurer, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina / Departamento de Patologia.

Graduada em Odontologia pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (1993), especialista em Radiologia Odontológica pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (1995) e doutora em Odontologia (Estomatologia Clínica) pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (2002). Professora da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Departamento de Patologia).

Caroline Zimmermann, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Graduada em Odontologia pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (2012), tendo concluído o Mestrado em Odontologia (Diagnóstico Bucal) na UFSC em 2015. Doutoranda do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Odontologia da UFSC.

Liliane Janete Grando, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina / Departamento de Patologia.

Graduada em Odontologia pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (1987), com mestrado em Odontopediatria na mesma instutição (1992). Concluiu seu doutorado em Odontologia - Estomatologia Clínica, na Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul em 2000. Fez doutorado sanduíche na Dental School da State University of New York, NY-USA. Atualmente é Professor Associado IV do Departamento de Patologia, Centro de Ciências da Saude, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.

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Published

10-01-2016

How to Cite

Meurer, M. I., Zimmermann, C., & Grando, L. J. (2016). Proposal for a guideline for the description of oral lesions as a support tool for profes-sional communication in Oral Medicine. Revista Da ABENO, 15(3), 2–15. https://doi.org/10.30979/rev.abeno.v15i3.179

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