(PO-019) Entrustable Professional Activities in Dental Hygiene Education

Author: Brittany L. Booth, RDH, B.S. – M.S. Dental Hygiene Education Candidate 2022, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Author: Jennifer L. Brame, Ed.D., M.S., RDH – Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice, Director of Graduate Dental Hygiene Education, University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry
Author: Michael D. Wolcott, Pharm.D, Ph.D. – Director of Educational Resources and Scholarship; Clinical Assistant Professor; Clinical Pharmacist, High Point University School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health
Author: Elizabeth C. Kornegay, M.S., R.D.H. – Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry
Submitter: Brittany L. Booth, RDH, B.S. – M.S. Dental Hygiene Education Candidate 2022, University of North Carolina at Chapel

Objective: Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) are units of professional tasks measuring entrustment of learners to perform tasks independently and safely. This exploratory study aimed to develop an initial EPA framework for dental hygiene (DH).

Methods: Three DH program directors participated in two workshops to generate ideas and gain insight into essential tasks of DH using a nominal group technique. The workshops were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two analysts to develop an EPA framework for DH. Following this, a survey was developed and distributed to all United States DH program directors. Program directors rated each EPA statement using a validated rubric, the EQual rubric, to assess the alignment and consistency of each EPA. Descriptive statistics for overall and domain-specific EQual rubric scores for each EPA were calculated. Free-text responses to why an EPA should be revised were summarized for EPAs that scored below a predetermined cutoff.

Results: Six EPAs with associated tasks were developed from the workshops and surveyed by thirty-six DH program directors. The six overarching EPAs include: (1) assessment; (2) diagnosis; (3) plan of care; (4) treatment; (5) evaluation; and (6) documentation. Preliminary results show each EPAs’ overall score was above the cutoff, revealing alignment of the key domains of EPAs. One key domain, “the EPA is independently executable to achieve a defined clinical outcome,” scored below the cutoff for each EPA. Open-ended responses reveal a need for educational sessions for DH educators to learn about EPAs and the shift moving towards EPA frameworks in health professions.

Conclusion: The EPAs developed create an initial framework for undergraduate DH education. Refinement and improvements are indicated to finalize the EPA framework. Further research is necessary to finalize the DH EPA framework.

Funding: National Center for Dental Hygiene Research & Practice, Inc., and Crest and Oral-B