Oral Healthcare Solutions Project

The OHSP began in January 2004 and, in November, will provide DHS with a business plan for a pilot project to be implemented in at least one urban and one rural area in 2005. The business plan will be for an integrated system of patient-centered, evidence-based strategies to expand and enhance the delivery of oral healthcare services to public program patients.

The OHSP has utilized a facilitated planning process to engage a broad-based coalition of key local partners.

In the first months of the project, OHSP partners provided input on the key elements needed for a successful system from the perspectives of patients, providers and other key stakeholders. Partner’s successful and innovative practices were also identified. The information gathered was then synthesized into an oral healthcare system framework which was adopted by the governance committee. In order to develop the key elements of the new oral healthcare system, four individual design teams were formed consisting of partners contributing according to their areas of interest and expertise (see diagram below).

The Help Team addresses the identified need for a single point of contact for the oral healthcare system through either a 1-800 number or through a website. The Help Team functions will provide continuous tracking and care coordination to support both patients and providers.

The Prevention and Access Team developed or identified risk assessment protocols, health promotion and disease prevention services, and new community-based settings for prevention services and education.

The Treatment Team addressed recruitment of local dental practices and clinics, simplified administration and reimbursement methods, and professional standards and quality assurance for general dentistry, specialty care, and urgent care.

The Evaluation and Research Team acts as the central resource for evidence based care and identification of expert resources for approaches taken in the new oral healthcare system. The Evaluation and Research Team also identifies meaningful evaluation measures to determine the effectiveness of the new system.

The work of the design teams is being integrated into for an integrated system of patient-centered, evidence-based strategies for the pilot project(s). Features of the new Oral Healthcare System include:

• Oral Healthcare Centers that enhance the roles of safety net clinics in coordinating the earliest possible prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment
• Community Oral Healthcare Sites in schools, Head Start Centers and nursing homes that offer convenient new points of entry for education, prevention and early intervention
• Oral Healthcare Teams that expand the workforce by deploying allied health professionals with expanded roles in new locations.
• Help Centers that uses information management technologies to create a single point of contact and social services expertise to respectfully match patient, provider and community needs.
• Private Practices that participate in new ways with maximum flexibility in participation levels, simplicity in billing and reimbursement, and the ability to function as a virtual group practice.
• An Evaluation and Research Team that build accountability into everyday clinical practice by applying principals of evidenced-based care to achieve improved oral health outcomes.
• An Oral Healthcare Management Team governed by a board of directors with the right balance of interdisciplinary expertise needed to assure that the Pilot Project accomplishes its goals.