EMR Benefits: EDR

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An electronic dental record(EDR) or Electronic Oral Health Records (EOHR). is a patient’s dental record (or chart) that is available through an electronic interface. EDR's have the capabilities to provide the oral health professional with the capacity for paperless charting for their patients, to include details such as any procedures, diagnoses, clinical notes, x-rays, periodontal charting, soft tissue findings, and restorations and active dental diseases.[1] EDR is customized to deal with the unique characteristics of treating patients’ teeth. Dentistry involves many lab and imaging tests, so EDR's receive and analyze the large amounts of data generated for each patient. Specifically, integration with panelipse and other x-ray imaging equipment help improve workflow through automatic uploading of images directly to a patient’s file. Many dental procedures involve the use of anesthesia. Because of this,EDR's may have similar features to anesthesia-specific software. Slight differences in such factors as body weight, drug interactivity, and age influence what type and how anesthesia is administered so an EDR must be able to capture all this type of data. Some EDR's may also have a robust alert system capable of notifying the dentists of any potential adverse drug reactions or allergies prior to the delivery of anesthesia or the prescribing of medications.[2]

Benefits

  • The greatest benefits of EDRs are the convenience and the amount of time saved with each appointment. EDRs can be integrated with Web-based registration and digital X-rays, allowing dentists like to have instant access to patients’ complete information from anywhere with a secure Internet connection. The time saved allows dentists to see more patients without compromising quality of care.[3]
  • Additionally, electronic records provide a layer of security by prominently displaying any patient allergies or other safety concerns.[3]
  • New patients appreciate the ability to register from home at their leisure so that the dentist's office knows their insurance information as soon as they walk in the door. This helps tremendously when determining treatment and payment options.[3]
  • With a fully digitized EDR system, dentists are able to show patients their X-rays and other information on screen, allowing for a more interactive appointment and a more robust dialogue about care. Case acceptance improves because the dentist is able to build trust when patients understand the procedure and why it is necessary.[3]
  • The data collected from an EDR offers quality assurance and is reusable for improving the delivery of quality care.[4]
  • Due to the increased use of EDR, the clinical data can be collected for use in research to help improve the oral health of the population.[5]
  • Another public health benefit of an EDR is the collection of clinical data for dental injury surveillance. The policy makers and dental care providers can better intervene with prevention strategies and effectively plan to be responsive for dental emergencies.[6]

EDR Utilization

EDR adoption has been robust across both solo and group dental practices. As of 2013, "Seventy-four percent of US solo and 78.7% of group practitioners used a computer to manage clinical information, and 14.3% and 15.9%, respectively, were paperless."[7]The trend toward increased adoption of EDRs in the United States is continuing, potentially making more data in electronic form available for research.[8]

References

  1. Electronic Dental Records http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/oralhealthittoolbox/introduction/whatishealthit.html
  2. Dental EMR information http://www.medicalrecords.com/dental-emr-information-medicalrecords-com
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Benefits of Electronic Dental Records: A case study http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2010/03/electronic-dental.html
  4. Schleyer T, Song M, Gilbert GH, et al. Electronic dental record use and clinical information management patterns among practitioner-investigators in The Dental Practice-Based Research Network. J Am Dent Assoc. 2013 Jan;144(1):49-58.
  5. Schleyer T, Song M, Gilbert GH, et al. Electronic dental record use and clinical information management patterns among practitioner-investigators in The Dental Practice-Based Research Network. J Am Dent Assoc. 2013 Jan;144(1):49-58.
  6. Dang,K.M., PF Day, P.F., Calache1, H., Tham, R., & Parashos, P. (2015). Reporting dental trauma and its inclusion in an injury surveillance system in Victoria, Australia. Aust Dent J, 60(1):88-95. doi: 10.1111/adj.12273.
  7. Schleyer, T., Song, M., Gilbert, G. H., Rindal, D. B., Fellows, J. L., Gordan, V. V., … The DPBRN Collaborative Group. (2013). Electronic dental record use and clinical information management patterns among practitioner-investigators in The Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), 144(1), 49–58. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539217/
  8. Schleyer, T., Song, M., Gilbert, G. H., Rindal, D. B., Fellows, J. L., Gordan, V. V., … The DPBRN Collaborative Group. (2013).Increased opportunities for reusing clinical data for research and quality improvement. Journal of the American Dental Association.(1939), 144(1), 49–58 http://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)60568-7/abstract