289561
Use of data linkage to identify opportunities for early oral health prevention, therapeutic intervention and care coordination to establish dental homes
Teri Hata, MS,
Division of Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT
John Burley, Ph.D,
Division of Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT
Moshe Braner, MPH,
Division of Health Surveillance, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT
Martha WH Friedman, MPH,
Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Office of Oral Health, Vermont Department of Health, Burlington, VT
Hospital Discharge data show that Medicaid pays for 83% of Vermont hospital outpatient visits for children aged 0-5 years who present with potentially preventable dental conditions. Analysis of Medicaid claims data showed that 2,201 eligible children aged 0-5 years received an endodontic, extraction or restoration procedure in 2009, accounting for 3,205 visits. Of these 3,205 visits, 421 (13%) took place in a hospital outpatient setting. There was a more than ten-fold difference in the average cost of treatment between hospital outpatient facility and dental office settings. The total cost to Medicaid was $2,210,131. Data linkage from Medicaid, through the birth certificate, to data from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) showed that 76% of the 2,201 children undergoing potentially preventable procedures were born to mothers enrolled in WIC prenatally or shortly after their child's birth. An even higher percentage (81%) of mothers of children requiring hospitalization had been enrolled in WIC. Conclusion: Community outreach programs at WIC clinics provide a unique opportunity for early oral health prevention, therapeutic intervention and care coordination to establish meaningful dental homes.
Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Learning Objectives:
Describe a method for employing linked Medicaid, birth certificate and WIC data sets to identify opportunities for community oral health outreach and prevention efforts.
Evaluate possible cost savings to Medicaid through primary prevention and early treatment of children aged 0-5 years who might otherwise develop preventable dental conditions
Keyword(s): Oral Health, WIC
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: as an epidemiologist for the oral health program, I collaborate with other analysts/epidemiologists to explore ways to use available data to promote public health. Among my interests is to utilize data linkage to develop strategies for improving oral health outcomes in special populations.
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.
