title: Collaborative Dental Hygiene Practice in New Mexico and Minnesota.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This descriptive, comparative study was conducted to examine characteristics, services, models and opinions among collaborative dental hygiene practitioners in New Mexico and Minnesota.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-designed online questionnaire, distributed via SurveyMonkey®, was utilized to collect data from 73 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. A multi-phase administration process was followed. Content validity and reliability was established. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis of 6 research questions. The Mann-Whitney U, Pearson Chi-Square and Fisher's Exact tests were employed to analyze 4 null hypotheses (p=0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most participants (n=36) were experienced clinicians who chose to work in an alternative setting after 28 years or more in the field and reported increased access to care as the reason for practicing collaboratively. A variety of services were offered and private insurance and Medicaid were accepted, although many practitioners did not receive direct reimbursement. The majority of New Mexico participants worked in private dental hygiene practices, earned advanced degrees and serviced Health Provider Shortage Areas. The majority of Minnesota respondents worked in various facilities, earned associate's degrees and were uncertain if Health Provider Shortage Areas were served. There were no significant differences in the variables between practitioners in both states.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New Mexico and Minnesota collaborative dental hygiene practitioners are similar in characteristics, services, and opinions although models of practice vary. Collaborative dental hygiene practice is a viable answer to increasing access to care and is an option for patients who might otherwise go without care, including the unserved, underserved, uninsured and underinsured.
authors.forename: Kathleen O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rogo
authors.forename: Allison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cahoon
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003729:Dental Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003756:Dental Hygienists / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007193:Independent Practice Associations; D008484:Medicaid; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D009516:New Mexico; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: access to health care; dental hygienist; health care disparities; health services; health services accessibility; independent practice; oral health