The delivery of medical care services in nursing homes is dependent on a workforce that includes physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Each of these professions operates under a unique regulatory framework while adhering to common standards of care. Nursing home provider characteristics and their roles in care delivery can illuminate potential links to clinical…
Children enrolled in Medicaid have more difficulty obtaining access to care than those children who are privately insured. The factors that influence dentists willingness to accept Medicaid patients are not well understood. This article describes a study that analyzed 2016 American Dental Association data on dentist practice characteristics, location, and educational background to examine what…
Pharmacists are increasingly recognized as crucial members of the health care team. To date, no single source of information exists that best characterizes the increasingly complex nature of the pharmacist workforce. Improving awareness of the potential roles of pharmacists would help to more effectively incorporate them into the health care team and improve care. This…
Populations residing in rural America have lower rates of dental care utilization, higher rates of dental caries, less water fluoridation, and fewer dentists per capita when compared to those living in urban environments. Dental workforce shortages in rural communities are endemic, despite the research on best practices for enhancing the rural workforce. This report examines…
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a topical medicament that can be used to treat dental caries across the age spectrum. Research supports the use of SDF in pediatric dentistry and in the elderly population as a simple, inexpensive, and effective way of preventing dental caries initiation and progression. State dental boards and regulators have recognized…
Dental therapists (DTs) are primary dental care practitioners that have been deployed in many countries around the world. There is increasingly strong evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of DTs, including their ability to promote community-based services and enhance oral health equity. Following the approval of education standards by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)…
Therapy assistants represent approximately half of the therapy workforce in skilled nursing facilities. Employment of therapy assistants enables skilled nursing facilities to provide more therapy services at lower costs. As new payment mechanisms provide incentives for therapy in skilled nursing facilities, employment of therapy assistants may be a cost-effective way to continue to provide services…
Due to the dangers of the opioid crisis, it is more important than ever that health providers are adequately educated about best practices for pain management, such as appropriate prescribing habits and screening for substance use disorders. While previous studies have addressed the educational curriculum about pain management in medical schools, the literature on similar…
The use of office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs has increased in recent years and requires integrated teams of professionals with different kinds of expertise working together. These care teams present opportunities for interprofessional training. This article describes a study that conducted interviews with health professionals on OBOT teams to examine the provider composition of these…
