ABSTRACT
People with complex medical, physical, and psychological conditions are among the most underserved groups in receiving dental care and consequently have the most significant oral health disparities of any group. The traditional dental care delivery system is not able to deliver adequate services to these people with "special needs" for a variety of reasons. New systems of care are evolving that better serve the needs of these groups by using interprofessional teams to reach these individuals and integrate oral health services into social, educational, and general health systems.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care , Dental Care for Disabled , Interprofessional Relations , Oral Health , Dental Care , Health Services Accessibility , Humans , Interdisciplinary CommunicationABSTRACT
The dramatic increase in broadband connectivity is opening up the possibility for using telehealth-connected teams in an improved system for charity care. The Virtual Dental Home demonstration taking place in California provides a model for the development and deployment of such teams. Teams using telehealth connections to provide oral health care can transform episodic or one-time visits into an ongoing system of care with a much greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention techniques and a greater likelihood of improved oral health for the population.
Subject(s)
Dental Care , Primary Health Care , Telemedicine/methods , Uncompensated Care , User-Computer Interface , California , Charities , Community Health Centers , Community Health Workers , Continuity of Patient Care , Dental Auxiliaries , Dental Records , Electronic Health Records , Episode of Care , Humans , Internet , Oral Health , Patient Care Team , United States , Videoconferencing , Vulnerable PopulationsABSTRACT
Persistent health disparities still exist in the U.S. despite decades of focus on the importance of prevention. Individual behaviors are the major contributor to oral health. By partnering and linking with community organizations, oral health professionals can expand their reach, overcome the obstacles to delivering effective prevention activities in dental offices and improve the oral health of the most underserved and vulnerable populations, who bear the greatest burden of dental disease.
Subject(s)
Community Networks , Health Promotion/methods , Oral Health , Chronic Disease , Community Health Services , Community-Institutional Relations , Cost of Illness , Cultural Competency , Health Behavior , Healthcare Disparities , Humans , Patient Education as Topic , Patient-Centered Care , Public-Private Sector Partnerships , Tooth Diseases/prevention & control , United States , Vulnerable PopulationsABSTRACT
Large and increasing oral health disparities in the U.S. population led the Institute of Medicine to call for expanded research and demonstration of delivery systems that test new methods and technologies. These new methods include delivering oral health services in nontraditional settings, using nondental professionals, expanded roles for existing dental professionals and new types of dental professionals, and incorporating telehealth technologies. The virtual dental home is a system that demonstrates the characteristics called for by the IOM.
Subject(s)
Dental Care/organization & administration , National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, U.S., Health and Medicine Division , Oral Health , Telemedicine/organization & administration , User-Computer Interface , Vulnerable Populations , California , Community Health Services/organization & administration , Dental Auxiliaries/statistics & numerical data , Dental Care/methods , Healthcare Disparities , Humans , Medically Underserved Area , Patient-Centered Care/organization & administration , Telemedicine/methods , United StatesABSTRACT
This study evaluated the agreement of a dentist's conclusions reached through an in-person versus a virtual examination. The dentist determined whether a patient was healthy enough to be treated only by allied dental personnel in a community setting or whether the patient needed to be seen by a dentist. The study concludes that a virtual examination is a strong substitute for an in-person examination and validates the application of telehealth-enabled examinations.
Subject(s)
Decision Making , Dental Auxiliaries/statistics & numerical data , Dental Care/organization & administration , Diagnosis, Oral/methods , Electronic Health Records , Telemedicine/methods , User-Computer Interface , Adult , Aged , California , Community Health Services , Dental Care/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Observer Variation , Sensitivity and Specificity , Young AdultABSTRACT
Widely recognized problems with the U.S. health care system, including rapidly increasing costs and disparities in access and outcomes also exist in oral health. If oral health systems are to meet the "Triple Aim" of improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health care, new and innovative strategies will be needed including new regulatory, delivery, and financing systems. The virtual dental home is one such system.
