The dental safety net is a crucial component of the oral health care delivery system providing needed care for vulnerable populations. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are an important part of the dental safety net and serve underserved communities, delivering care to all patients, regardless of income or insurance status. Staffing levels, types of services…
In the United States, use of oral health care services during pregnancy remains low, with fewer than 40% of pregnant women seeking preventive oral health care. Low use of oral health care services is concerning, as a lack of regular preventive oral health care and delayed treatment increase the risk of developing dental disease and…
The dental workforce in the US is facing a significant reduction in the number of dental hygienists and dental assistants. This decline, marked by a 10% decrease in practice capacity in 2022, is impacting the efficiency and quality of dental care services while presenting serious challenges to job satisfaction and the overall well-being of the…
Our most recent oral health webinar discussed the state-to-state variability in dental hygiene (DH) scope of practice (SOP) and the impacts of DH SOP on access to care. This webinar explores best practices for community-based DH services in Oregon and Minnesota—both states that support a broad SOP for hygienists.
Legal scope of practice (SOP), based on state-specific practice acts, defines what services a health professional is allowed to provide and under what conditions in a given state. This webinar considers state-to-state variability in dental hygiene (DH) SOP. The presenter describes the use of the Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index to quantify SOP and highlight…
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)…
In the US, the primary responsibility for health professions regulation falls to states. There is concern that this approach is not well-suited to respond to the workforce challenges faced in a health care delivery system that is undergoing rapid transformation. This webinar describes the aspects of health professions regulation that constrain effective and efficient use…
Timely and reliable data about the health workforce is critical to effective health workforce planning. The Health Workforce Minimum Dataset (MDS), developed by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, provides guidance on key variables to include in health workforce surveys, including demographic, educational, and practice characteristics. This presentation provides an overview of the MDS,…
As the impacts of health reform are felt across the country, states are recognizing the importance of having timely, objective, and comprehensive data on their health workforce to inform decision-making. A growing number of states are developing or planning to develop health workforce monitoring systems to use for health workforce planning. In order to learn…
Many of HRSA’s current Funding Opportunity Announcements are asking applicants to use quality improvement techniques to ensure grant activities achieve their intended purposes as well as to promote continuous assessment and improvement of activities over the grant period. It is important for HRSA Project Officers and staff to be familiar with RCQI and to understand…
