Partnering with Community Health Centers to Prevent Early Childhood Carries (ECC)
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
The goal of this intervention was to work with parents and pediatricians to reduce rates of early childhood caries. The intervention had three components: communication skills training for clinicians, edits to the anticipated counseling topics in the electronic medical records, and creation of an educational brochure.
The first component was an educational program designed to improve a pediatrician's ability to advise and counsel parents/caregivers of young patients about decreasing the risks for early childhood caries. During this one-hour training session, experts in dentistry and patient-centered counseling taught pediatricians to address three primary strategies with parents: limiting sugars and consuming foods that strengthen teeth, keeping teeth clean, and monitoring teeth consistently.
Various dental health topics were added to a list of counseling topics within each electronic medical record. Physicians are then required to address each of these topics with parents during well-child visits. Finally, an educational brochure was created and given to parents/caregivers that reiterated the new dental health information that was provided during the visit.
The first component was an educational program designed to improve a pediatrician's ability to advise and counsel parents/caregivers of young patients about decreasing the risks for early childhood caries. During this one-hour training session, experts in dentistry and patient-centered counseling taught pediatricians to address three primary strategies with parents: limiting sugars and consuming foods that strengthen teeth, keeping teeth clean, and monitoring teeth consistently.
Various dental health topics were added to a list of counseling topics within each electronic medical record. Physicians are then required to address each of these topics with parents during well-child visits. Finally, an educational brochure was created and given to parents/caregivers that reiterated the new dental health information that was provided during the visit.
Goal / Mission
The goal of this intervention was to involve pediatricians to help reduce rates of early childhood caries.
Impact
The multifaceted ECC intervention was associated with increased provider knowledge and counseling, and significantly attenuated incidence of ECC, showing that similar interventions could have the potential to make a significant public health impact on reducing ECC among young children.
Results / Accomplishments
The program was implemented at two pediatric outpatient practices in academic medical centers in Boston, serving mostly African-American and Latino children. The control site was another hospital-based pediatric outpatient practice in Boston. Before the training was conducted, pediatricians answered 66% of questions correctly on an early childhood caries knowledge test. After the intervention, this rate increased to 79%. Also, physicians at the intervention sites counseled parents on significantly more dental health issues when compared to physicians at the comparison site, approximately 2 more issues per patient (p<0.0001).
Over time, children at the intervention sites were significantly less likely (77%) to develop early childhood caries when compared to children at the comparison site (p=0.004).
Over time, children at the intervention sites were significantly less likely (77%) to develop early childhood caries when compared to children at the comparison site (p=0.004).
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
Boston University Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD)
Primary Contact
Judith Bernstein
CREEDD
560 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 414-1415
jbernste@bu.edu
http://www.bu.edu/creedd/projects/project1/
CREEDD
560 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 414-1415
jbernste@bu.edu
http://www.bu.edu/creedd/projects/project1/
Topics
Health / Oral Health
Health / Children's Health
Health / Children's Health
Organization(s)
Boston University Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD)
Source
Medical Care
Date of publication
Nov 2009
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Boston, MA
For more details
Target Audience
Children, Families
Additional Audience
Pediatricians