Author: Tatyana Straus, D.M.D. M.B.E. – Dental Director, Philadelphia FIGHT Submitter: Tatyana Straus, D.M.D. M.B.E. – Dental Director, Philadelphia FIGHT
Objectives: Oral disease can impact children’s growth, development, school readiness, and overall quality of life. The lasting impact of early childhood experiences on multiple facets of wellbeing is well documented. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have a dental visit no later than twelve months of age, thereby establishing a dental home and improving chances for lifelong oral health. Unfortunately, many children do not meet this goal, resulting in increased dental disease burden and lifelong consequences.
Philadelphia FIGHT is a Federally Qualified Health Center that has a Pediatric Clinic and a Dental Clinic, both located in the same building and caring for the same underserved population. Yet, many patients at the Pediatric Clinic do not have a dental home. The goal of this project was to expand access to dental care for patients at FIGHT Pediatrics through sustainable workflow improvements that address education- and convenience-related barriers to dental care. Methods: Workflow changes focused on education and convenience were implemented to improve access to dental care at FIGHT Pediatrics. The education-focused interventions were: 1) presented educational seminar to pediatric providers on importance of dental care for children 2) provided educational materials on oral health to patients in Pediatric Clinic, and 3) updated EMR templates to include dental questions starting at the six months well-visit. The convenience-focused interventions were: 1) established consistent medical-dental co-location, 2) established protocols for medical-dental co-scheduling, and 3) enhanced medical-dental paperwork integration. Results: The proportion of active FIGHT Pediatrics patients age five and under who had a completed visit with a FIGHT Dental provider was tracked monthly. The proportion grew from 35% to 48% in the nine months since implementation of the workflow changes. Conclusion: Implementing workflow changes focused on education and convenience expanded access to dental care for children at Philadelphia FIGHT.
