Dental Information System Role and Potential on Patient Safety

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Oral Health
Informatics
Dental Information System
Patient Safety
Role
Potential and Ways to Implement
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The health of the nation is the primary concern of policymakers and governments. There are multiple strategies that are designed to address the most problematic issues and create an environment beneficial for clients and their recovery. The current healthcare sector is characterized by the employment of new methods to deliver care to patients and align the effective prevention system.

Prophylactics and health literacy are considered critically important elements of the modern paradigm as they contribute to the improvement of results among patients. Digitalization of the world and the spread of the Internet, along with social networks, provide caregivers with new opportunities to educate clients and achieve high levels of patients’ safety. The dental information system can be considered one of the modern methods that are used by specialists to provide patients with knowledge about oral health.

Oral Health

Oral health is a critically important aspect of the life of any person. It touches every aspect of people’s functioning and impacts the well-being of a person significantly. Unfortunately, a significant number of individuals disregard this aspect of their life or take it for granted, preferring to care for some other systems or parts of the body. That is why oral diseases pose a serious health burden to multiple countries and communities and result in the emergence of such unpleasant symptoms as pain, discomfort, inability to eat, or even death (Oral health, n.d.). One of the leading causes for the emergence of problems in the given sphere is the lack of knowledge and low awareness levels peculiar to the majority of the population (Oral health, n.d.).

Statistics show that about 100 million Americans fail to visit a dentist every year (Oral health, n.d.). Globally, the situation also remains dissatisfying as oral diseases affect 3,9 billion people in various states and cause the appearance of severe consequences (Oral health, n.d.). Under these conditions, the need for improvement becomes obvious as oral health serves as an indicator of overall health and problems related to this field might demand a complex approach affecting all systems of the body.

Regarding the importance of this element, the functioning of dentistry specialists also acquires the top priority as the guarantee of the improvement in the given sphere. To achieve a substantial enhancement in the oral health of the nation, it is vital to provide care providers with tools and information useful at the moment and contribute to the attainment of success (Oral health, n.d.). For this reason, today, there is also a focus on the creation of the environment characterized by the availability of knowledge and opportunities for its sharing to enhance dentistry specialists’ skills and competencies. One of the possible ways to accomplish this task is the digitalization of data and the creation of online platforms or networks available both for patients and specialists and promoting the rise of awareness and experiences related to the discussed sphere.

Informatics

Today, there is a positive experience of using technologies in the healthcare sector. Health informatics can be determined as a specific approach to information engineering focused on the management and use of patient health care information and knowledge that can be useful in treating clients and the achievement of positive outcomes (Hoyt and Hersh, 2018). The functioning of modern health units is impossible without specific information systems that are integrated into the work of multiple departments with the primary goal to increase their effectiveness levels and minimize mistakes that might be associated with human factors.

One of the advantages of the given software is its ability to combine several functions vital for the healthcare environment. The first important function is the provision of information about a certain case both to a patient and a client. Accepting the fact that credible and relevant data is fundamental for effective interventions, databases or information systems might provide all actors involved in a particular case with data sets they need to create an effective approach and recovery paradigm (Mastrian and McGonigle, 2016). Additionally, inexperienced health workers might ask for assistance by using existing networks or other online platforms.

Patients also benefit from the spread of health informatics and its integration with the work of the majority of hospitals today. One of the obvious achievements is the opportunity to look for the demanded information and increase awareness levels related to a particular disease or problem (Nelson and Staggers, 2017). At the same time, networks can also be a useful tool to align the health continuum and continuous communication between a patient and a nurse or therapist, which is vital for chronic diseases or other complex cases.

In such a way, information systems are a potent tool of the modern healthcare sector as they drive innovation and simplify the work of specialists by providing them with data that is critical for positive results. Its integration in various spheres, including health, can help to generate positive outcomes and solve the most topical problems.

Dental Information System

Concerning the sphere of oral health, the use of innovative solutions and the latest technologies can be considered a promising option that might contribute to the improvement of patient safety in various ways. For this reason, much attention is devoted to the creation of effective dental information systems that would be utilized both by patients and health workers. Specifics of the dental occupation precondition the need for unusual approaches for the application of technology and specific dental IT (Masic, 2012).

The alignment of dental software with global standards will provide doctors and dentists with an opportunity to find general medical information about clients by using the Internet and access to the central national health database (Angelopoulou and Kavvadia, 2018). Additionally, the high levels of standardization achieved due to the integration of technologies will help to simplify the access to general medical and dental history data related to representatives of other states who might address health workers during their vacations (Masic, 2012). In such a way, the use of IT in the sphere of oral health guarantees the achievement of a higher level of service and care.

The modern dental IT systems are mainly based on Web applications and databases that simplify the work of health workers and help them to perform their tasks with higher effectiveness levels. Electronic patient records are also a part of these IT systems as this sort of data is vital for improved outcomes and treatment results. The detailed recordings about past treatment, surgeries, diagnoses, pathologies, or interventions are critical for the creation of a sufficient treatment plan (Baratang, 2014).

From another perspective, the dental information system might also be used by patients to acquire information about the importance of oral health, main symptoms that should be given attention, and prophylactic measures that will help to protect the oral health and avoid critical deterioration of the situation.

In such a way, the Dental Information System should consist of two parts: a web-based application and a client-server with relevant information. The first one provides information to all clients who look for data related to oral health, prevention, common symptoms, and information about the staff of a particular unit (Baratang, 2014). The second part or a client-server is critical for the work of dental specialists as it contains information about patients, diseases, and other relevant data. Today, there is a growing body of evidence showing that the existence of the given system has a positive impact on patient safety and outcomes as it helps to align the beneficial care paradigm.

Patient Safety

In the contemporary healthcare sector, patient safety becomes one of the major concepts that impact the functioning of hospitals and other facilities. It can be defined as the prevention of errors and adverse effects that might emerge when providing care to patients (Patient safety, n.d.). With the further complication and sophistication of the healthcare sector and the emergence of new technologies and approaches that can be used by specialists, the idea of patient safety becomes more relevant because of multiple co-morbidities and unexpected or unwanted effects that occur in the current setting.

Statistics show that every 10th patient might suffer from adverse effects in the hospital, which means that safety becomes deteriorated under the impact of both internal and external factors (Patient safety, n.d.). At the same time, it remains a crucial aspect of the quality of health care and treatment. For this reason, there are some fundamental goals related to this framework:

align an effective experience sharing
develop useful networks of patients and care providers
learn from failures and risk assessment
monitor improvement
educate patients and specialists (Patient safety, n.d.)

In such a way, the given ideas impact the work of the modern healthcare sector and precondition its evolution. The application of specific technologies along with the establishment of information systems regarding the sphere of oral health is expected to introduce the positive change related to patient safety and contribute to the achievement of significant progress, which is one of the basic goals of the healthcare sector today.

Role

Considering the information mentioned above, the role of the dental information system in the creation of a beneficial paradigm and improvement of patient safety cannot be overestimated. It becomes one of the tools that can be used by specialists to enhance outcomes and achieve new levels of effectiveness.

Its unique importance can be explained by the fact that the modern dental information system encompasses a wide range of activities and spheres vital for the further evolution of healthcare and reconsideration of the approach to oral health. Additionally, this system can promote better promotion, prevention, diagnosing, and educating practices, which meets the current demands of the healthcare sector. Investigators agree in the opinion, that in the future, IT technologies and information systems will become the leading facilitators of the sector’s growth, which means that there is a high potential for applying these elements and their integration with the work of health units.

Experience Exchange

As stated above, one of the major strengths of the discussed dental information system is its positive impact on experience exchange. With the growing diversification of cases and the appearance of new methods of treatment, health workers might face multiple challenges related to the correct choice of the intervention or approach. Moreover, young and inexperienced specialists might also be confused and need assistance (Petersen, 2014).

The dental information system helps to fill gaps in knowledge by offering a platform for experience exchange. Therapists or dentists might discuss specific cases with the prior goal to elaborate on a sufficient paradigm and apply it to a patient (Shea et al., 2018). Moreover, working strategies that guarantee positive outcomes can also be discussed and analyzed to use in practice. In such a way, the dental information system becomes a place for sharing experiences and looking for effective solutions.

Patient Information

Accessibility and availability of information about patients are two critical elements of patient safety that are demanded to establish a beneficial environment contributing to the achievement of positive outcomes. The functioning of the dental information system is one of the pillars of practical and useful information exchange and processing as it provides access to multiple databases and clients’ clinical records. Reports evidence that the lack of data about previous treatments, peculiarities of the health status, allergies, and responses to intervention serves as the primary cause for the emergence of adverse effects among patients (Petersen, 2014).

For this reason, dental information systems become an effective solution to reduce risks related to patient information as they can provide specialists with records he/she needs to select the best possible option and prevent undesired reactions or drug interaction (Petersen, 2014). Additionally, software of this sort can be used to minimize the negative impact of human factors on collecting and storing data as electronic medical records demonstrate a higher level of accuracy and help to avoid flaws or gaps in knowledge (Petersen, 2014). It means that information systems play a vital role in promoting patient safety.

Diagnosing

Methods presupposing the use of IT and specific software also mean a higher level of health services and a better approach to the organization of health care. Surveys conducted among less experienced dental specialists show that a majority of them might use health units’ networks during diagnosing to ensure that all-important factors are taken into account, and the appropriate treatment is prescribed (Masic, 2012).

Under these conditions, the dental information system can also be viewed as a secondary diagnosing tool that can be employed by specialists to avoid uncertainty and check the final diagnosis using the existing guidelines. This approach ensures the higher accuracy of investigations and helps specialists to avoid mistakes that are mainly associated with the human factor (Petersen, 2014). With the further evolution of software, more options for effective diagnosing emerge, which means that the dental information system possesses a significant potential regarding the improvement of practice.

Improvement

In terms of the information provided above, the dental information system has also become one of the primary improvement tools available to health workers. Its ability to contribute to increased performance, reduction of mistakes, and adverse effects are explained by the existence of several options. First, it provides relevant knowledge about the most effective approaches to treatment. Second, it outlines the peculiarities of useful paradigms that are employed in the health sector at the moment.

Third, the dental information system aligns better communication between all participants of the treatment process, which is one of the demands of the effective functioning of all units. Under these conditions, this software is taken as the leading quality improvement tool with the limitless potential for upgrading and generation of better outcomes (Shea et al., 2018). Moreover, there is a focus on the creation of new, more useful applications and platforms that will create a new, digitalized working environment.

Prevention

The effectiveness of the dental information system and its contribution to better outcomes is also justified by its positive impact on clients and their quality of life. Thus, at the moment, networks of this sort serve as an effective prevention tool. Regardless of the importance of oral health, a limited number of patients possess the correct understanding of its role in their lives and ignore symptoms or prophylactic measures that might help to avoid the critical deterioration of the situation. In this regard, the dental information system, including a web-based application for clients, becomes critically important as it explains the basic concepts of oral health, its role, and ways to preserve it at a high level (Nelson and Staggers, 2017). Moreover, it contributes to the reconsideration of the perspective on this concept and its increased importance for people.

Education

As it comes from the definition of patient safety and basic goals related to this concept, education holds the top priority for the modern healthcare sector. It presupposes the provision of information both to clients and to specialists to ensure that these groups possess a high level of understanding and knowledge sufficient for the achievement of improved outcomes (Nelson and Staggers, 2017).

For health workers, it means the creation of an environment useful for experience and knowledge exchange, as was stated above. However, for patients, education and provision of additional knowledge about some problematic aspects of their health is a complicated issue because of the overall low level of health literacy and the lack of an understanding of its importance. The low level of awareness is often taken as the leading case for the appearance of multiple symptoms and complications in clients (Nelson and Staggers, 2017). For this reason, the effective work of the dental information system is fundamental for the creation of a database available for patients and cultivating their enhanced vision of multiple oral health issues and ways to prevent them

Moreover, prophylactic is closely related to education and health literacy and remains a meaningful component of oral health. The current dentists’ recommendations emphasize the fact that avoidance of problems by performing some measures is a more effective way to preserve the appropriate state of oral health than treatment (Nelson and Staggers, 2017), That is why the dental information system should contain the basic knowledge about prophylactic and prevention of the most common problems associated with the dental health for patients to have easy access to it and benefit from the improved experience.

Cooperation between Patients and Health Workers

Finally, the dental information system can be taken as a sufficient approach to enhance the communication between patients and health workers, which is also considered a critical element of the modern healthcare sector. Thus, the existence of the online platform available for both these groups will simplify communication and cultivate a positive climate. Additionally, multiple problems such as a selection of a specialist or discussions regarding the possible treatment can be solved by using this very information system. In such a way, it becomes a useful tool for the alignment of a practical collaboration paradigm between a health worker and a patient.

Potential and Ways to Implement

In such a way, the dental information system has significant potential regarding the improvement of patient safety. It can be implemented in the work of all health units via the creation of the network consisting of such components as the web-based application and client-server to ensure that all actors of the treatment process are affected (Shea et al., 2018). Moreover, with the further development of technologies and the appearance of new applications and software, the effectiveness of dental information systems will grow, which means that they will play a more substantial role in the healthcare sector.

Conclusion

Altogether, the dental information system is an integral part of the modern healthcare sector. Its effectiveness in promoting enhanced outcomes and patient safety is explained by the fact that it serves as a platform for information and experience exchange, which is vital regarding the existing demands to the quality of care. For this reason, there is a need for further improvement of this component to contribute to the creation of a new beneficial environment.

Reference List

Angelopoulou, M. and Kavvadia, K. (2018) ‘Experiential learning in oral health education’, Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 7, p. 70. Web.

Baratang, A. (2014) ‘The dental information management system: its implications to policy formulation for dental education’, Journal of Education & Human Development, 3(1), pp. 421-448.

Hoyt, R. and Hersh, W. (2018) Health informatics: practical guide. 7th edn. New York, NY: Information Systems.

Masic, F. (2012) ‘Information systems in dentistry’, Acta Informatica Medica, 20(1), pp. 47-55. Web.

Mastrian, K. and McGonigle, D. (2016). Informatics for health professionals. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Nelson, R. and Staggers, N. (2017) Health informatics: an interprofessional approach. 2nd edn. New York, NY: Mosby.

Oral health(n.d.) Web.

Patient safety (n.d.). Web.

Petersen, P. (2014) ‘Strengthening of oral health systems: oral health through primary health care’, Medical Principles and Practice, 23(1), pp. 3-9. Web.

Shea, C. et al. (2018) ‘Providers’ preferences for pediatric oral health information in the electronic health record: a cross-sectional survey’, BMC Pediatrics, 18, p. 5. Web.

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