Entrustable Professional Activities in Oral Health for Primary Care Providers Based on a Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Primary Care Education
• Oral Health Integration

Background:

• Persistent oral health inequalities exist despite advancements in care, often due to access issues.
• Primary care providers (PCPs) can address these disparities through education, screening, and referrals.
• Existing oral health competencies vary across primary care disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize diverse oral health competencies into standardized Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).
• To facilitate the integration of oral health into primary care training programs.
• To establish a clear framework for PCPs to manage oral health as a component of overall health.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a scoping literature review (2000-2016) following PRISMA guidelines.
• Included competencies from allopathic/osteopathic medicine, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner programs.
• Translated identified competencies into EPAs, validated by a reactor panel.

Main Results:

• Identified 14 core competencies for oral health integration in primary care.
• Developed seven EPAs for oral health integration, mapped to accreditation standards.
• EPAs define observable tasks for PCPs to address oral health determinants.

Conclusions:

• The developed EPAs provide a standardized approach for training PCPs in oral health.
• Integration of these EPAs can enhance PCPs' role in mitigating oral health disparities.
• This framework supports treating oral health as integral to overall patient well-being.