Telemedicine Screening of Dental Risk Factors In Cardiac Patients

Abstract

Cardiological patients belong to a group in which dental risk factors acquire not only local, but also systemic importance. Chronic foci of odontogenic infection, inflammatory periodontal diseases, multiple caries, secondary adentia, poor oral hygiene and drug-induced xerostomia can increase the infectious and inflammatory burden, complicate preparation for invasive interventions, reduce the quality of life and complicate interdisciplinary patient management. Against the background of the growing digitalization of healthcare in the Russian Federation, telemedicine technologies are of interest as a tool for the primary selection, routing and prioritization of dental care for cardiological patients.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibilities of telemedicine screening of dental risk factors in cardiac patients in the conditions of the Novosibirsk city clinic and to determine its practical value for identifying groups in need of a primary full—time dental examination.

The article presents a study that included 130 cardiac patients who were observed at the Novosibirsk city clinic. The screening was carried out according to a two-stage scheme: a remote survey using a standardized questionnaire and the transfer of photographic materials of the oral cavity through a secure digital circuit, followed by face-to-face verification of dental status. Clinical and anamnestic data, the frequency of dental risk factors, the distribution of patients by risk levels, and the consistency of remote and face-to-face assessment were evaluated. Statistical processing included descriptive methods, fraction analysis, the χ2 criterion, Fisher's exact criterion, and the calculation of the agreement coefficient.