Oral Health Grant Coordinator Arkansas Department of Health
Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Julie Shelby, MA: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
The 2019-2020 Basic Screening Survey (BSS) was designed to examine the oral health status of 3rd grade students in Arkansas. The Office of Oral Health (OOH) contracted and trained seven Oral Health Specialists (OHSs) to conduct the BSS in 65 schools. The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors assisted in selecting a statewide probability sample that was representative of all 3rd grade students at public schools in Arkansas.
The OOH worked closely with Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and the Arkansas Oral Health Coalition (AOHC), two partners instrumental in the successful planning and implementation of BSS. Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) were developed to protect safety and confidentiality of information shared among the three entities.
Working with a Data/Technical Consultant, seven e-Tablets provided by AOHC were used to collect, manage, and transfer data in a safe and confidential manner. An innovative bar code technique was used to link students’ demographic information collected prior to the screening with the clinical data collected at the time of survey.
The ADE provided demographic information of students enrolled in school year 2019-2020. The AOHC trained OHSs on how to enter and manage data including data linkage. Data collection was completed in December 2019.
This roundtable will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of digital collection and the linkage process; how strong partnerships are essential; and the importance of well-designed agreements to accomplish goals.