Development of Electronic Dental Records For Translating Research Into Practice

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Electronic dental records (EDR) are starting to appear throughout the dental practice environment. They represent a potentially powerful tool for incorporating best practice guidelines into the dental encounter through the use of clinical reminders. However, the research from the medical use of clinical reminders within the electronic medical record has found them to have a variable effect. Careful study of how healthcare professionals interact with electronic records is required if they are to achieve their potential. The purpose of this project is to study the use of an EDR by dental professionals, to determine what programming options for the interaction with the dental professional are available, and to conduct a pilot intervention to test and evaluate the acquired knowledge. The results of this project will provide a set of principles that will guide the dental community in the usage of EDRs to improve dental health by incorporating accepted guidelines into daily practice. This study will also be used as preparatory material for future R01 translational proposals dealing with the treatment of patients with tobacco usage, diabetes and xerogenic medication, and to establish a team of collaborating researchers focused on using the EDR in dental health services research. Figuring out how to translate the knowledge developed in dental research is one of the greatest challenges we currently confront. This study will help provide the understanding of how to use EDRs to translate research into practice.