Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: How Could Dentistry Participate?

There is a remarkable phenomenon occurring among health professionals: the development of ongoing, routine collaboration, both in educating the next generation of providers and in delivering care. These new approaches, commonly referred to as interprofessional education and interprofessional collaborative practice, have been introduced into academic health settings and delivery systems throughout the U.S.

Will Large DSO-Managed Group Practices Be the Predominant Setting for Oral Health Care by 2025? Two Viewpoints: Viewpoint 1: Large DSO-Managed Group Practices Will Be the Setting in Which the Majority of Oral Health Care Is Delivered by 2025 and Viewpoint 2: Increases in DSO-Managed Group Practices Will Be Offset by Models Allowing Dentists to Retain the Independence and Freedom of a Traditional Practice.

This Point/Counterpoint article discusses the transformation of dental practice from the traditional solo/small-group (partnership) model of the 1900s to large Dental Support Organizations (DSO) that support affiliated dental practices by providing nonclinical functions such as, but not limited to, accounting, human resources, marketing, and legal and practice management. Many feel that DSO-managed group practices (DMGPs) with employed providers will become the setting in which the majority of oral health care will be delivered in the future. Viewpoint 1 asserts that the traditional dental practice patterns of the past are shifting as many younger dentists gravitate toward employed positions in large group practices or the public sector.

Continued Competency Assessment. Does it have a necessary role in dentistry?

The responsibility of regulating dental practice in the interest of public safety is vested in the states and is exercised through delegated initial competency evaluation of new graduates, continuing education attendance requirements, and investigations of complaints. Questions have been raised over whether this model can demonstrate effectiveness and whether it ensures continuous professional growth or only identifies the clearly incompetent. There have been reports identifying desireable standards and there are pilot programs for continued competency in dentistry.

Continued Competency Assessment. Its history and role in the health professions.

The concept of an implicit contract between the public and a profession is used as a foundation for the responsibility for professions to develop continued competency assessment and enforcement mechanisms that ensure that the public can expect safe and competent care. The literature in medicine, other health professions, and from other countries is reviewed. There is concern that the fact of continued practice alone does not ensure continued competency in a changing profession and that mandatory continuing education attendance is insufficient.