title: Views of Dental Providers on Primary Care Coordination at Chairside: A Pilot Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a need for research to facilitate the widespread implementation, dissemination and sustained utilization of evidence-based primary care screening, monitoring and care coordination guidelines, thereby increasing the impact of dental hygienists' actions on patients' oral and general health. The aims of this formative study are to explore dental hygienists' and dentists' perspectives regarding the integration of primary care activities into routine dental care, and assess the needs of dental hygienists and dentists regarding primary care coordination activities and use of information technology to obtain clinical information at chairside.
  
  
  METHODS
  This qualitative study recruited 10 dental hygienists and 6 dentists from 10 New York City area dental offices with diverse patient mixes and volumes. A New York University faculty dental hygienist conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis consisted of multilevel coding based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, resulting in emergent themes with accompanying categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dental hygienists and dentists interviewed as part of this study do not use evidence-based guidelines to screen their patients for primary care sensitive conditions. Overwhelmingly, dental providers believe that tobacco use and poor diet contribute to oral disease, and report using electronic devices at chairside to obtain web-based health information.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental hygienists are well positioned to help facilitate greater integration of oral and general health care. Challenges include lack of evidence-based knowledge, coordination between dental hygienists and dentists, and systems-level support, with opportunities for improvement based upon a theory-driven framework.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Northridge
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birenz
authors.forename: Danni M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Golembeski
authors.forename: Ariel Port
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Greenblatt
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shelley
authors.forename: Stefanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods; D003729:Dental Care / Q000379:methods*; D003756:Dental Hygienists; D003815:Dentists; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D009518:New York; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: chairside screening; dental hygienist; evidence-based guidelines; interoperability; primary care; technology