Clinical Integration in a Dental School Clinic Through an Enhanced Patient Intake Process

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Dental Education
• Operations Management

Background:

• The U.S. dental care system often operates on a general practice model, with opportunities for enhanced team integration.
• Dental schools with dental hygiene programs offer unique settings for interprofessional education and team-based care.
• Lean management principles, focused on waste elimination and value addition, can optimize healthcare processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve patient throughput and enhance educational experiences by integrating dental and dental hygiene students.
• To apply Lean process improvement techniques to an inefficient patient intake process at a dental college.
• To foster teamwork and collaboration among dental and dental hygiene students within a clinical setting.

Main Methods:

• The Ohio State University College of Dentistry faculty and staff implemented Lean process improvement techniques.
• The patient intake (admissions) process was analyzed, streamlined, and key phases were relocated.
• Focus was placed on improving patient flow and integrating educational clinical experiences.

Main Results:

• The initiative successfully improved patient access to care and continuity of care.
• Patient satisfaction and the scope of dental services offered were enhanced.
• Collaboration and teamwork between dental and dental hygiene students significantly improved.
• New patient retention and cancellation/no-show rates remained largely unchanged.

Conclusions:

• Process improvement initiatives, such as Lean management, can effectively integrate dental healthcare teams.
• Streamlining operational processes in dental schools enhances both patient care and student education.
• Interprofessional education within a Lean framework positively impacts student collaboration and clinical outcomes.