Troubleshooting the implementation of a template to evaluate and record SDF caries arrest

Area of Science:

• Dental Public Health
• Clinical Informatics
• Pediatric Dentistry

Background:

• Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is increasingly used for caries arrest in pediatric dentistry.
• Accurate documentation of SDF application and treatment outcomes is crucial for patient care and research.
• Electronic health records (EHRs) offer potential for standardized data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of an electronic note template for evaluating and recording caries arrest after 38% Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) application.
• To evaluate adherence to the template's use among post-doctoral residents at a dental clinic.
• To identify barriers and explore alternatives for documenting SDF treatment procedures.

Main Methods:

• A custom electronic template was designed to capture patient and treatment data.
• The template was implemented with 26 post-graduate residents.
• Retrospective chart review and qualitative focus groups were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Template utilization varied among residents and over time, indicating inconsistent adoption.
• Residents recognized the importance of documentation but faced barriers such as time constraints and system accessibility.
• Challenges in documenting multiple lesions in a complex patient population were noted.

Conclusions:

• While an electronic template can aid in documenting caries arrest with SDF, consistent compliance is challenging in a high-volume pediatric dental clinic.
• Barriers to template utilization need to be addressed to improve its effectiveness in dental education settings.
• Further research is needed to develop feasible documentation strategies for SDF treatment in similar environments.