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171 - Co-Location of Medical and Dental Services Improves Access to Care

Friday, May 24, 2024
11:45 AM – 11:55 AM EST
Location: Exhibit Hall (back left corner of the hall, space 137)

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Vishal M. Patel, DDS

    PGY2 Pediatric Dental Resident
    NYU Langone Dental Medicine Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry, Pittsburg, KS
    NYU Langone Dental Medicine Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry, Pittsburg, KS
    Pittsburg, Kansas, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • JB

    Joshua B. Bullock, DMD

    SEK Smiles

    • Program Director(s)

  • DK

    Daniel J. Kane, DMD

    Program Director
    NYU Langone Dental Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
    Brooklyn, New York, United States

Abstract:



Purpose: To examine the rate of missed appointments for necessary pediatric dental care when medical and dental services were co-located in a single, convenient geographic location versus sited in two separate geographic locations.



Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on randomly selected pediatric patients who received medical and/or dental services at a rural community health center in Pittsburg, Kansas during two four-month periods: prior to medical-dental co-location (October 2020 to January 2021) and after medical-dental co-location (October 2021 to January 2022). Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were performed to determine whether an association exists between missed appointments and service co-location.



Results: Ninety pediatric patients were included in the study: 45 (50%) pre-co-location of medical-dental services and 45 (50%) post-co-location of services. The mean patient age was 7 years (SD: 2.7); 49 patients (54%) were female, 66 (73%) were medical-dental patients, and 24 (27%) were dental-only patients. Twenty-three (26%) pediatric dental patients missed appointments. Significantly more appointments were missed that were scheduled at a separate location (17, 74%) vs. scheduled at the same location offering both medical and dental services (6, 26%) (P=.016). In total, 23 (96%) dental-only patients missed appointments, while no (0%) medical-dental patients missed appointments (P < .001).



Conclusions: The rate of missed dental appointments was meaningfully and significantly reduced when medical and dental services were co-located at a single site within a rural community health center. Further studies on medical-dental integration and geographic co-location may strengthen evidence-based practice and improve access to dental care in rural communities.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.