Increased communication between dental and medical providers can result in reduced barriers to care, according to a report from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine in Aurora.
The report, released Sept. 20, was funded by the Delta Dental Institute. Review of the medical-dental integration models was led by Tamanna Tiwari, DDS, assistant professor in the department of community dentistry and population health at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
"Identifying creative ways to adapt to specific situations may help increase access to oral health screenings, diagnosis and referral of patients for chronic disease management," Dr. Tiwari said in a news release. "This has the potential to reduce the number of appointments and providers a patient must interact with, which increases the likelihood that patients will receive critical preventive care."
Three report takeaways:
1. Coordinated communication for the entire care team involved in the medical-dental integration model is essential for successful patient outcomes.
2. Medical-dental integration models increase positive health outcomes in vulnerable populations and reduce barriers.
3. Feasibility and simulation models show that when patient volume and payer distributions are maintained, net revenue for medical-dental integration models remains positive.