243292 Missing Provider Connections in Women's Health: Identifying Disconnects between Oral Health Providers and Medical Providers

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Ellen Daley, PhD, MPH , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Rita DeBate, PhD, MPH, CHES , Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Women's Health, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Annelise Driscoll, MBA, PhD , Department of Health and Management Informatics, College of Health and Public Affairs, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Jordana Frost, MPH, CPH, CLC , Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Publci Health, Boston, MA
Elizabeth Baker, MPH, CPH , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Judith Ebbert, MPH, BS, RN , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Erica Hesch Anstey, MA, CLC , Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Background: Many women's health issues are greatly impacted across the lifespan by the interaction between oral and systemic health (e.g., pregnancy related gingivitis and pregnancy outcomes). Oral Health Providers (OHP) and Medical Providers (MP) are both critically important, but typically do not interact as part of a women's health care team.

Methods: An exploratory review of literature regarding the links between oral-systemic and women's health was conducted. PubMed Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were utilized to conduct the review. MeSH terms were chosen to represent oral health (n=33 terms) and major women's health issues (n=35 terms). MeSH terms for women's health issues were chosen based on priority health issues identified in Healthy People 2020 and the Office of Women's Health. A secondary search assessed the relationship between OHP and MP, specifically regarding the bidirectional links between oral and system health practice.

Results: The initial search yielded 3,541 articles. Articles retrieved were reviewed to determine systems and processes relevant to primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of health issues with an oral-systemic etiological link. Less than 5% of reviewed articles depicted or recommended cross referrals between OHP and MP pertaining to oral-systemic health.

Conclusion: This literature review was part of a series of strategic activities in a transdisciplinary research process. The low number of articles including OHP and MP cross referrals enabled the identification of critical gaps and systemic issues regarding the communication between OHP and MP, and serves as a foundation for qualitative interviews to establish additional insight.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Chronic disease management and prevention
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Other professions or practice related to public health
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1.Gain an understanding of the need for collaboration between the oral health providers and medical providers with regard to patients with oral/systemic health issues. 2.Identify the factors associated with the lack of bidirectional referrals between oral health providers and medical providers.

Keywords: Oral Health, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Co-Principal Investigator for the ongoing study being presented through this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Individual, social, and community factors related to women's health across the lifecycle
See more of: Women's Caucus