Authors: Tulika Shruti, Divya Khanna, Aqusa Khan, Abhishek Dandpat, Manish Tiwari,Arjun G. Singh, Aseem Mishra, Anupama Shetty,Praveen Birur, and Pankaj Chaturvedi
This review sought to discuss the various challenges in the early detection of oral premalignant and malignant lesions and potential solutions to these challenges in India. Researchers identified the following factors as challenges within the community to the early detection of these poor oral health outcomes: (i) sociodemographic factors, (ii) poorly understood natural history of oral lesions and their risk factors, (iii) resistance to quitting risk factors, (iv) government policies for risk factor prevention, (v) fear of cancer diagnosis, (vi) and financial outcomes. Researchers identified the following factors as challenges within the health system to the early detection of poor oral health outcomes: (i) manpower deficit, (ii) challenges faced by CHWs, (iii) screening accuracy, and (iv) poor referrals. Possible solutions to remedy these identified challenges were identified as the following: (i) improving health literacy within the community, (ii) developing a high-risk tobacco user prediction model for preferential screening, (iii) utilizing mobile technology, point-of-care techniques, and high-grade OPMD surveillance, (iv) deploying mobile screening units to villages, and (v) integrating oral screening into general health care. These findings emphasize the need to empower communities and their corresponding CHW cadres through active involvement, health autonomy, supportive supervision, and remuneration so as to establish a sustainable screening program responsive to oral health needs.
Link: Status and Determinants of Early Detection of Oral Premalignant and Malignant Lesions in India
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Resource Topic: CHW, Cancer screening, Intervention, Mobile health, Oral cancer
Resource Type: Review
Year: 2023
Region: Asia
Country: India
Publisher May Restrict Access: No