Primary Care and Oral Health Integration: Comparing Training Across Disciplines.

Background: Primary care (PC) training programs must incorporate oral health (OH) into their curricula to reduce health disparities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare OH education integration across multiple PC disciplines.

Methods: In 2017, the authors surveyed deans and program directors (PDs) across 13 disciplines (2,245 PC programs) and used the Input Process Output framework to evaluate training factors across these disciplines.

Integrating Oral Health: Physician Assistant Education in 2017.

Purpose: This study describes the inclusion of oral health in physician assistant (PA) education programs in 2017. A 2014 study found that 78% of responding programs (n = 98 of 125) had integrated this content into their curriculum. The current study represents a partnership between the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health, the Center for Integration of Primary Care and Oral Health, and the PA Leadership Initiative in Oral Health.

Adoption of oral health curriculum by physician assistant education programs in 2014.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe inclusion of didactic and clinical instruction in oral health in physician assistant (PA) education programs in 2014. A previous study in 2008 found that PA education program directors generally understood the importance of teaching about the linkage of oral health with systemic health; yet, few programs had actually integrated oral health instruction into the PA curriculum. This study was undertaken to ascertain the number of PA programs teaching oral health topics and to evaluate the content of instruction and implementation strategies.

Innovations in faculty development: interprofessional oral health workshops combine active learning and community engagement.

Purpose: This paper reports the findings of a retrospective study of PA faculty who attended an innovative oral health faculty development workshop at the PAEA Annual Education Forum in 2011 or 2012. The oral health workshop combined didactic and interactive learning, including a hands-on community service practicum.

Methods: The impact of this interprofessional oral health workshop was evaluated by measuring the degree to which participants incorporated workshop concepts into educational curriculum.