FDI calls for integration of oral measures into electronic health records

ADA leads efforts to address challenges with standardization

The FDI World Dental Federation is calling for health systems to include oral health indicators in electronic health records.

The organization released a consensus statement on integrated electronic health records that included input from the ADA and other stakeholders.

“The ADA is leading efforts to advance the integration of oral health data within electronic health records,” said Jennifer Thompson, D.D.S., vice chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice. “By aligning on standards for interoperability, we are laying the foundation for a more connected and efficient health system, one that supports comprehensive care while reducing administrative burden and enhancing clinical outcomes across dental and medical domains.”

The statement identifies eight core oral health indicators for integration into electronic health records: periodontal disease; caries and endodontic health; oral cancer screenings/examinations; oral health status measures; medical devices and implants information; prescription data; allergies and medical history findings; and radiographs and other diagnostic images.

The report also addresses current challenges, including standardization, stakeholder engagement, data security, cost barriers and international coordination.

Differences in terminology, data formats and documentation styles between dental and medical records as well as infrastructure limitations of dental practice management systems contribute to standardization challenges.

The ADA is leading efforts to address these challenges. The ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics has developed standards related to information exchange. These standards form the foundation for producing uniform data that allows for interoperability between dental and medical systems.

For many years, the Association has also worked with Health Level Seven International, an American National Standards Institute-accredited organization that provides standards related to global health data interoperability. The ADA develops the dental content and dental industry-specific aspects of these standards, which are adopted by HL7 into their technical implementation guides.

Read the full consensus statement at fdiworlddental.org. For more on the ADA Standards Program, visit ADA.org/dentalstandards.