Developing a Transdisciplinary Systems Approach for Improving Women's Health

Background: Across the female lifespan, many health issues are greatly impacted by the interaction between oral and systemic health (e.g., pregnancy related gingivitis and pregnancy outcomes; poor oral health and osteoporosis). While women's systemic and oral health issues are connected, delivery of health care services remains separated by medical and professional specializations. In order to more effectively address health issues that were traditionally addressed within separate medical and dental domains, a transdisciplinary systems-oriented approach to comprehensive care for women – both in practice and in research - may be required.

Methods: Taking a team science approach, a women's health collaborative was formed representing various research and practice disciplines (e.g., anthropology, dentisty, dental hygiene, medicine, nursing, public health, and women's studies). A systematic literature review of oral/systemic female health issues guided the collaborative to conceptualize a systems-oriented model representing the complex nature of oral/systemic health issues.

Results: The collaborative developed a conceptual model representing systems and connections on three levels: micro (individual), meso (caregivers and providers), and macro (environmental constraints and policy). Based on the conceptualized model, the research collaborative identified where provider connections are lacking within women's health care.

Conclusions: Dialogue between medical and dental providers is a critical component of women's overall health and needs to be enhanced. If left ignored, poor oral health can result in significant health consequences. Taking a systems approach to women's health allows public health practitioners to examine the multiple barriers constraining access to care, and identify ways in which to improve such access.