Bioética y asignación de recursos para la atención odontológica del adulto mayor en Chile

Abstract

A growing concern among those who recognize that healthcare resources are finite and that desire for health benefits can be unlimited has promoted in recent years a policy of cost reduction, accountability, and an analysis of what is a fair and equitable health service. In this scenario, the resource allocation for health care for older adults has been debated. Planning for dental programs for older adults, like any other, needs to know the magnitude and distribution of diseases in the population and what are the cost-effective therapies. However, a discussion justifying the allocated resources should be raised previously. This requires ethical considerations that support these policies more than demographic and epidemiological data. This article outlines the oral health of older adults in Chile and subsequently, bioethical considerations that may limit or support health care resource allocation in this group. Finally, it can be concluded that Justice in Health and Protection Bioethics must be applied to the discussion about resources allocation in dental health care program for elderly people and other susceptible groups that should be the focus of protection. Rev. Clin. Periodoncia Implantol. Rehabil. Oral Vol. 4(2); 80-82, 2011.