Partnering for Integrated Care: A Learning Collaborative for Primary Care and Oral Health Teams.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Integration
• Oral Health
• Primary Care

Background:

• Integrating oral and primary healthcare delivery is crucial for comprehensive patient well-being.
• Existing healthcare models often operate in silos, limiting bidirectional care and early disease detection.
• The Teaming and Integrating for Smiles and Health (TISH) initiative sought to bridge this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a virtual Learning Collaborative on integrating oral and primary healthcare services.
• To improve early detection of hypertension in dental settings and gingivitis in primary care settings.
• To increase bidirectional referrals between oral and primary care providers.

Main Methods:

• 17 primary and oral health care teams participated in a 3-month virtual collaborative.
• Teams implemented changes using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles.
• Data collected included screening/referral rates, validated questionnaires, and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in hypertension screening and referral rates, as well as referrals to primary care and for gingivitis.
• Gingivitis screening and oral healthcare referrals showed less pronounced improvement.
• Qualitative feedback highlighted enhanced screening/referral workflows, improved interprofessional communication, and increased understanding of oral-primary care links.

Conclusions:

• Virtual Learning Collaboratives are effective and accessible platforms for advancing interprofessional education.
• The TISH project demonstrated successful integration of oral and primary care, leading to practical improvements.
• This model fosters stronger partnerships and enhances the delivery of integrated healthcare services.