Oral Medical Care Coordination- Pillar 3

This week’s research brief for our Oral Medical Care Coordination in the U.S. series is out! As a reminder, our first research brief in the series started with the Awareness pillar (increasing recognition, knowledge, and understanding) while our second research brief focused on the Workforce Development and Operations pillar (integrating interprofessional education into health professional training and encouraging continuous learning.) Our third research brief focuses on the next of the four pillars we proposed – Information Exchange.

The Information Exchange pillar highlights the need for integrated electronic health record systems that allow seamless sharing of patient data between dental and medical providers. This pillar supports improved communication through shared notes, messaging, and referrals and calls for strong referral networks and care coordination to ensure efficient, comprehensive patient care. EHRs can also support effective referrals that include comprehensive evaluation and are bidirectional in nature.

From a technological standpoint, the coordination of oral and medical health services will demand significant advancements in health information technology. Technological integration will facilitate comprehensive patient care, streamline care coordination, decrease redundancies, and improve the overall quality of care. By breaking down traditional barriers, coordinated care models can provide more comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Read more about this pillar, and the rest of our research brief series here: https://www.kdhrc.com/news-publications/