Advancing Oral Health in America (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 A New Oral Health Initiative
5 A New Oral Health Initiative
Pages 207-226
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From page 207... ...
Committee on an Oral Health Initiative considered why prioritization of oral health continues to be a challenge in HHS. In any initiative to improve oral health and oral health care, HHS' challenge will be to marshal its resources in a way that produces a significant impact in the lives of people all across the country.
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From page 208... ...
. In considering a potential HHS oral health initiative, the committee developed a set of organizing principles (see Box 5-1)
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From page 209... ...
3. Improve oral health literacy and cultural competence.
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From page 210... ...
Toward the goal of fully integrating oral health into overall health, instead of merely listing existing or planned oral health activities, the committee recommends that each relevant operating and staff division provide clear directions and goals for integrating oral health into all of its relevant programs within the first year of the NOHI. Aside from their individual abilities, each division should look for clear opportunities to partner with other entities, both within and outside of HHS.
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From page 211... ...
is recognized and appreciated in future oral health planning. Focusing on Prevention Among the most important contributions that HHS can make to improve oral health is to promote the use of regimens and services that have been shown to promote oral health, prevent oral diseases, and help manage these diseases.
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From page 212... ...
This recommendation is in alignment with the HHS Strategic Plan for FY 2010–2015 that promotes "the incorporation of oral healthcare services and oral disease prevention into primary healthcare delivery sites" and "policies to integrate oral health into primary care, including prevention and improved health literacy" (HHS, 2010c)
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From page 213... ...
This includes knowing how to prevent and manage oral diseases, the impact of poor oral health, how to navigate the oral health care system, and best techniques in patient–provider communication. Therefore, the committee recommends: RECOMMENDATION 3: All relevant HHS agencies should undertake oral health literacy and education efforts aimed at individuals, com munities, and health care professionals.
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From page 214... ...
This may include being able to recognize disease, teaching patients about self-care, or providing basic preventive services. In addition, both dental and nondental health care professionals need better training in collaborative efforts, including the appropriate use of referrals in both directions, and more research will be needed to understand best approaches.
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From page 215... ...
Therefore, the committee recommends: RECOMMENDATION 4: HHS should invest in workforce innova tions to improve oral health that focus on • Core competency development, education, and training, to allow for the use of all health care professionals in oral health care; • Interprofessional, team-based approaches to the prevention and treatment of oral diseases; • Best use of new and existing oral health care professionals; and • Increasing the diversity and improving the cultural competence of the workforce providing oral health care.
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From page 216... ...
Also like in the general health care system, incentives may be needed to encourage oral health care providers to work in underserved areas or with underserved populations, such as increased payments for Medicaid providers or reimbursement for services performed by nondental health care professionals. Chapter 3 describes the delivery of oral health care services, yet also recognizes that distinct segments of the American public are not well served by the current system and that alternative solutions need to be explored (as discussed in the previous recommendation)
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newer financing mechanisms might help contain costs and improve health outcomes; and (4) new delivery models need to be explored to improve efficiency.
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While Chapter 2 highlighted significant oral health disparities between different populations, not enough is known about the best ways to decrease these disparities. Similarly, Chapter 2 describes the basics of health literacy practices and principles, including its relationship to disease management and behavioral change.
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From page 219... ...
The research into best practices in oral health should be interpreted broadly because many areas of research are still needed related to individual procedures, oral health literacy, interprofesssional approaches, and many other areas, all of which contribute to oral health overall. In addition, part of this research will require consideration of how to transfer oral health research results into use by appropriate user groups.
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From page 220... ...
, these data, whenever possible, should be made available to all researchers. For example, HHS' Community Health Data Initiative and CMS's and the VA's Blue Button Initiative are current efforts to share standardized data with the public regarding health and health care in order to foster better public understanding of health care performance and personal health as well as to promote innovative use of the data for the public's benefit (CMS, 2010a; HHS, 2011a)
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From page 221... ...
The committee recognizes that many of the recommendations made are not necessarily "new." However, as the title of this report suggests, the challenges and strategies illuminated by Oral Health in America represent and remain the areas that have the strongest evidence for effecting the needed changes. As this committee looks to the future of HHS' involvement in oral health, questions arise regarding both the long-term viability of maintaining oral health as a priority issue and the likelihood of the recommendations of this report coming to fruition.
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From page 222... ...
During the public workshop of the committee's second meeting, a discussion ensued about whether a formal dental leadership position should be created in every agency. It was noted that creating a multitude of new positions might not necessarily be matched with enough individuals interested in entering government service, that positions for all types of health care professionals were being eliminated in public agencies to some degree, and that previous successes relied more on the interest from the workers on the ground level.
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From page 223... ...
The committee urges CDC to include oral health in subsequent reports. More significantly, in early 2011, the committee learned of the proposed downgrading of the CDC's Division of Oral Health (within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
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From page 224... ...
Marcia Brand, Deputy Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Presentation at meeting of the Committee on an Oral Health Initiative, Washington, DC.
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From page 225... ...
Mary Wakefield, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Presentation at meeting of the Committee on an Oral Health Initiative, Washington, DC.
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