Editorial
Vulnerable Populations in Healthcare at the Medical-Dental Divide
Kristi M. Soileau, DDS, MEd, MSHCE, FACD, FICD Private Practice in Periodontics, New Orleans, LA Gratis Periodonal Faculty, LSUHSC School of Dentistry Dr. Soileau is a member of the Journal of the American College of Dentists Editorial Board.
T
he term “vulnerable population” has several interpretations. The words usually imply a disadvantageous and precarious tendency of particular subsets of the community1 to require heightened care, be afforded special considerations in certain circumstances, and be recognized as being at increased risk in research situations. At some point in everyone’s life, they will face vulnerability, such as during hospitalization, having a decreased free will or inability to make informed choices, or when exposed to harm.
Vulnerable populations refer, but are not limited to, children, minors, pregnant women, fetuses, prisoners, military persons, students and employees in hierarchical situations, the terminally ill, comatose, those with intellectual and/or physical disabilities, institutionalized, elderly, those with variations in gender identity, healthy research volunteers, ethnic minorities, refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers, informal and precarious workers, indigenous peoples, and those in rural populations.1-7 The healthcare challenges of these various groups can be divided into three basic categories: physical, psychological, and social. The needs of vulnerJournal of the American College of Dentists
able populations can be serious, debilitating, and vital, with health challenges identified in any one dimension potentially compounded with significant comorbidities and cumulative risks in yet another aspect of their lives.8 Significant disparities exist in healthcare for certain subsets of the US population, particularly notable among the economically disadvantaged and for those with chronic health conditions; for these populations, healthcare issues may be entangled with social complexities. For example, the chronically ill are twice as likely to report poor health days as are those in the general population, and despite their 8
