Defining the Dental Hygienist's Role in Improving Population Health through Interprofessional Collaboration

An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care. Here are a few more healthcare professionals.
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...

The healthcare system is constantly changing and complex. Various services are available from different healthcare providers, but gaining access to these services has become challenging for people with limited healthcare insurance. Uninsured people present a challenge to healthcare because they frequently postpone or forego treatment.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for a patient-centered, effective, safe, timely, equitable, and effective healthcare system. The National Priorities...

An interdisciplinary team includes many healthcare professionals working together and utilizing their skills, knowledge, and expertise to provide holistic and quality patient care.
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...

The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Geneva. The WHO has many initiatives that center around health. Primarily, they lead global efforts to expand universal health coverage using science-based policies and programs. They are also responsible for shaping health research agendas and developing norms and standards.
The WHO provides expert team support, including funding, vaccines, testing, and treatment tools at the country level to fight...

Establishing a secure, collaborative nurse-patient relationship is crucial for delivering high-quality care. This relationship, founded on trust, respect, and honesty, enhances the patient's comfort and willingness to share vital health information. For example, a nurse who listens actively and without judgment provides clear information about health conditions and treatment options and respects patient decisions, which builds a trusting relationship.
Communication between nurses and...

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...