title: Transforming women's oral-systemic health through discovery, development, and delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral-systemic etiologies solely or disproportionally affect women's health; however, little communication between and among disciplines occurs.
  
  
  METHODS
  To bridge this gap, an innovative conference, "Transforming Women's Health: Discovery, Development, and Delivery," was held in Tampa, Florida. The conference aimed to address complex oral-systemic women's health issues by bringing together researchers, providers, and policy experts in dentistry, medicine, nursing, public health, and allied health professions. The program was structured by three organizational themes: (a) discovery (i.e., oral-systemic research specific to women's health issues); (b) development (i.e., translation of oral-systemic research to practice); and (c) delivery (i.e., collaborative practice).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Issues discussed during conference proceedings include oral-system health in children, pregnant women, and older women, and cardiovascular disease and human papillomavirus (HPV) as oral-systemic health issues. Team and system-based approaches to reducing disciplinary-specific research, developing cross-disciplinary strategies and methods for improving women's health, and the advantages of creating collaborative networks, as well as effective communication practices with patients, were addressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on findings from this innovative conference, it is clear that creating a transdisciplinary paradigm of research and practice may be the most effective vehicle for addressing oral-systemic health issues.
authors.affiliation: Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. edaley@health.usf.edu
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Daley
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Debate
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vamos
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: Nolan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albino
authors.forename: Annelise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Progulske-Fox
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D003226:Congresses as Topic; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill / Q000379:methods*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009909:Oral Health / Q000592:standards; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D016730:Program Development; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis