ADHA Quick Reference on Transforming Dental Hygiene Education Symposium 2013

ADHA Quick Reference on “Transforming Dental Hygiene Education” Symposium 2013

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) envisions an association that is collaborative and influential, and a key participant in the transformation of the dental hygiene profession.

• Collaboration among the ADHA, the Santa Fe Group and the ADHA’s Institute for Oral Health resulted in the think tank that was the symposium. The goal was a three-day conversation about the need for a transformation in the educational process of the dental hygiene profession. A necessity for expanded roles, new opportunities and increased access to care emerged out of a variety of environmental factors.

• These environmental factors include changes in reimbursement structures, new care-delivery models, the creation of medical homes, and the need for a more efficient system, as well as demographic, economic, financial, legislative, psychosocial and public health issues.
• Another driver for change includes the precedents set by other professions including nursing, pharmacy, and physician assistant programs, among others. By providing an interprofessional education with a focus on population wellness, these programs laid the ground work for increasing educational demands, scope of practice, and legitimacy.

What is necessary for transformation to occur with the future of dental hygiene?

• Looking to other professions for examples of positive change.

• Seeking out change champions to drive reform.
• Creating an interprofessional educational experience that will diversify and specialize dental hygienists’ knowledge.
• Identifying new practice and provider models.
• Engaging with potential funding and research opportunities.
• Advocating for change in accreditation standards.
• Establishing pilot programs with which to test these new domains, competencies and scopes of practice.

Outcomes of the Symposium

• Seven dental hygiene programs were selected by the ADHA to install educational pilot programs to develop new domains and competencies. The seven schools were chosen due to their diverse geographical location, as well as the workforce models in place. Facilitated by Dr. Pamela Overman, BSDH, MS, EdD, a dental hygiene consultant, the ADHA partnered with the Academy for Academic Leadership (AAL) for a one-year contract to develop new learning domains and curricula to serve as models for programs throughout the U.S. These initial seven schools included Vermont Technical College, Miami Dade College, the University of Detroit Mercy, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Idaho State University, the University of New Mexico and Eastern Washington University. Representatives from these seven schools presented at ADHA Annual Session 2014, and will also present at the ADEA Annual Session in March 2015.

• The ADHA entered into a contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to commission the writing of a summary of the proceedings of the symposium, and a white paper based on those proceedings. HRSA is the primary federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services and achieving health equity.
• The ADHA has engaged in ongoing discussions with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) over the past several years. Following the symposium, ADHA requested that ADEA consider the creation of a joint work group with ADHA to further evaluate and drive transformation in the dental hygiene education curriculum. ADEA formed the ADEA Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (ADEA CCI) in 2005 to build consensus among all stakeholders in dental education, research, and practice by providing leadership to a systemic, collaborative, and continuous process of innovative change in the education of general dentists so that they enter the profession competent to meet the oral health needs of the public throughout the 21st century and to function as important members of an efficient and effective health care team. ADEA agreed to form the ADEA CCI joint work group with ADHA with the goal of accomplishing similar transformation in dental hygiene education programs.
• The conference created opportunities to share with the community new practice and provider models that are already in place and performing well

  within the changing landscape of dental health care. With a focus on collaboration and interprofessional development, revolutionary practice models have been brought to light, including programs such as the Willamette Dental Group, corporate and Head Start collaborations, and Health Partners Dental Group. These models offer varying ways for dental hygienists to reach underserved patients.

• New mid-level provider models have emerged in Maine and Minnesota and other states are pursuing mid-level provider legislation. There are also expanded opportunities for dental hygienists in California, Oregon, and New Mexico, among others, which have widened the scope of practice for dental hygienists by offering them new opportunities in which to practice. From this emerges a greater awareness of the advancements, pilot projects, and perceived risks and rewards in the practice of delivering oral health care to the public.

Other Resources:

The ADHA issued several press releases in response to the conference as a way to expand the public’s knowledge of the importance of this symposium. Specifically, one of these press releases addresses the engagement of important stakeholders at the conference. This can be found at:http://www.adha.org/resources-docs/Dental_Hygiene_Symposium_Engages_Key_Stakeholders_to_Redefine_Health_Education.pdf

Other press releases can be found at: http://www.adha.org/adha-press-releases. If you need further information or have received a media inquiry, please contact ADHA Director of Communications John Iwanski at johni@adha.net for assistance.

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