title: Linking medical and dental health record data: a partnership with the Rochester Epidemiology Project.
abstract: The purpose of this project was to expand the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) medical records linkage infrastructure to include data from oral healthcare providers. The goal of this linkage is to facilitate research studies examining the role of oral health in overall health and quality of life.
  
  
  
  Eight dental practices joined the REP between 2011 and 2015. The REP study team has linked oral healthcare information with medical record information from local healthcare providers for 31 750 participants who have resided in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Overall, 17 718 (56%) participants are women, 14 318 (45%) are 40 years of age or older and 26 090 (82%) are white.
  
  
  
  A first study using this new information was recently completed. This resource was used to determine whether the 2007 guidelines from the American Heart Association affected prescription rates of antibiotics to patients with moderate-risk cardiac conditions prior to dental procedures. The REP infrastructure was used to identify a series of patients diagnosed with moderate-risk cardiac conditions by the local healthcare providers (n=1351), and to abstract antibiotic prescriptions from dental records both pre-2007 and post-2007. Antibiotic prescriptions prior to dental procedures declined from 62% to 7% following the change in guidelines.
  
  
  
  Dental data from participating practitioners will be updated on an annual basis, and new dental data will be linked to patient medical records. In addition, we will continue to invite new dental practices to participate in the REP. Finally, we will continue to use this research infrastructure to investigate associations between oral and medical health, and will present findings at conferences and in the scientific literature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: St Sauver
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Specialties, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Carr
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|Department of Research, Olmsted Medical Center, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Yawn
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Brandon R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Grossardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bock-Goodner
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Lori L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Technology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pankratz
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Lila J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Finney Rutten
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.|Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Walter A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1832-7664
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Rocca
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003792:Dental Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: dental records; electronic health records; medical-dental record linkage; oral health; oral systemic health; population health