Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess whether the Strategic Partnership for Interprofessional Collaborative Education in the Pediatric Dentistry (SPICE-PD) program at the UCLA School of Dentistry positively affected interprofessional experiences and practice patterns of pediatric and general dentistry residents, pediatric medical residents, and pediatric nurse practitioner students (PNPs).
Methods: Data collection included a year-end online survey given to participants in the interprofessional program upon graduation from their UCLA dental/medical/nursing programs. Of the 318 participants who were recruited into SPICE-PD, 208 (65%; 208/318) completed the survey. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in key outcome variables by dental/medical specialty.
Results: Most dental, medical, and nursing participants thought SPICE-PD helped them learn to work more effectively with interprofessional colleagues and reported knowing more about the abilities and contributions of other health professionals as a result of the program. While most pediatric medical residents and PNPs thought SPICE-PD improved their skills to screen for early childhood caries (N = 91% and N = 100%), PNPs were more likely than pediatric medical residents to report SPICE-PD improved their skills to apply fluoride varnish (98% versus 72%; p < 0.001). Almost all pediatric medical residents and PNPs thought primary care providers should incorporate oral health into routine patient care and provide referrals to dental professionals when necessary.
Conclusion: Increased interprofessional education and coordination of care through programs such as SPICE-PD can help bridge the gap between dental and medical care and lead to improved oral health outcomes and more comprehensive and preventive patient care.
Keywords: childhood caries; interprofessional education; oral health; pediatric nurse practitioner; primary care providers; underserved populations.
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