A recent study from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health highlighted challenges related to medical-dental integration at Federally Qualified Health Centers.
The nonprofit surveyed 103 FQHCs providers, including 70 dental providers, 23 medical providers and 10 providers who had both medical and dental credentials. Survey data was collected from May 25, 2022, to Sept. 12, 2022. The survey results were published in August.
The study concluded that the exchange of electronic data between dental and medical providers remains inadequate and also pointed out several challenges facing dental and medical providers, including those located in shared facilities.
Here are 11 findings from the report:
1. Thirty-seven percent of new patients are asked by providers to bring physical copies of their medical records. Of that amount, 34 percent of patients do so.
2. Forty percent of providers think their patients are not at all likely, or only slightly likely, to recall their medications.
3. Ninety-four percent of providers reported in the survey that they request information about the services their patients receive from other healthcare organizations.
4. Among co-located facilities, 85 percent of dental providers have access to their patients’ medical information, but 31 percent require special permissions in the EHR to view the records.
5. Sixty-three percent of medical providers at co-located facilities have access to their patients’ dental records, while 11 percent need special permissions in the EHR to view the records.
6. About 25 percent of dental providers at co-located facilities who can view their patients' medical records said it is at least moderately difficult to do so within the EHR. About five percent of medical providers viewing dental records report the same level of difficulty.
7. Forty-two percent of dental providers at co-located facilities reported that they can use their health center’s EHR system to enter information into patients’ medical health records.
8. Eighty-eight percent of medical and dental providers at co-located facilities said they cannot revise their mutual patients’ treatment plans.
9. Sixty percent of medical providers said they are able to identify medications prescribed by providers from other healthcare organizations using their EHR system, compared to 33 percent of dental providers.
10. Eighty-five percent of medical providers can refer to outside healthcare providers through their EHR system, compared to 50 percent of dental providers.
11. A hundred percent of surveyed dental providers said they would like the ability to view their patients’ medical information. Seventy-five percent of medical providers said they would like to view their patients’ dental information.