Measuring clinical productivity in community-based dental education programs. 2011

Oscar Arevalo, and Daniel M Saman, and Victoria Rohall
School of Dental Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico. oscar.arevalo@upr.edu

Community-based dental education programs (CBDEPs) are an important part of the curriculum in many dental schools. This article describes the redesign of the CBDEP at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. As part of the formative evaluation of this CBDEP, information on clinical productivity was collected in order to educate intramural faculty members about the scope and extent of services provided in extramural sites; develop an understanding of the productivity expected; complement the intramural education by placing dental students in particular settings where they could enhance certain clinical disciplines; and serve as a decision making tool in the selection of sites that provide the richest clinical experiences. A total of 158 students participated in the CBDEP during the three years of our study (2006-08). Productivity per site was calculated based on total, mean, and median number of services provided, billing (utilizing Kentucky's Medicaid fees for 2006), and Relative Value Units (RVUs). A total of 26,202 services, $972,109 in billing, and 43,053 RVUs was generated by the students, with an average of 175 services, $6,481, and 287 RVUs per student. Four categories (restorative, oral surgery, preventive, and diagnostic) accounted for 88 percent of total RVUs for all sites and all years. Productivity measured with RVU was the highest at private practices. Students spent most of their time providing restorative and oral surgery services. Measuring clinical productivity can be an effective tool to establish benchmarks, improve the site selection process, and educate those skeptical about the benefits of extramural education. Such an evaluation will enable faculty and program administrators involved in CBDEP to make continuous improvements.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007629 Kentucky A state bounded on the north by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio; on the east by Virginia and west Virginia; on the south by Tennessee, and on the west by Missouri.
D008484 Medicaid Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XIX, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, administered by the states, that provides health care benefits to indigent and medically indigent persons. Dental Medicaid Program,Medical Assistance, Title 19,Dental Medicaid Programs,Medicaid Program, Dental,Medicaid Programs, Dental,Program, Dental Medicaid,Programs, Dental Medicaid
D008507 Medically Underserved Area A geographic location which has insufficient health resources (manpower and/or facilities) to meet the medical needs of the resident population. National Health Service Corps,Physician Shortage Area,Area, Medically Underserved,Health Service Corps, National,Medically Underserved Population,Area, Physician Shortage,Areas, Medically Underserved,Areas, Physician Shortage,Medically Underserved Areas,Medically Underserved Populations,Physician Shortage Areas,Population, Medically Underserved,Populations, Medically Underserved,Shortage Area, Physician,Shortage Areas, Physician,Underserved Area, Medically,Underserved Areas, Medically,Underserved Population, Medically,Underserved Populations, Medically
D011231 Preceptorship Practical experience in medical and health-related services that occurs as part of an educational program wherein the professionally-trained student works outside the academic environment under the SUPERVISION of an established professional in the particular field. Clinical Mentoring,Clinical Supervision,Clinical Practicum,Field Study, Medical,Field Training, Medical,Field Work, Medical,Clinical Mentorings,Clinical Supervisions,Field Studies, Medical,Medical Field Studies,Medical Field Study,Medical Field Training,Medical Field Work,Mentoring, Clinical,Mentorings, Clinical,Practicum, Clinical,Practicums, Clinical,Studies, Medical Field,Study, Medical Field,Supervision, Clinical,Supervisions, Clinical,Training, Medical Field,Work, Medical Field
D003149 Community Dentistry The practice of dentistry concerned with preventive as well as diagnostic and treatment programs in a circumscribed population. Dentistry, Community
D003153 Community Health Services Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive health services provided for individuals in the community. Community Health Care,Community Healthcare,Health Services, Community,Services, Community Health,Community Health Service,Health Care, Community,Health Service, Community,Healthcare, Community,Service, Community Health
D006297 Health Services Accessibility The degree to which individuals are inhibited or facilitated in their ability to gain entry to and to receive care and services from the health care system. Factors influencing this ability include geographic, architectural, transportational, and financial considerations, among others. Access To Care, Health,Access to Care,Access to Contraception,Access to Health Care,Access to Health Services,Access to Medications,Access to Medicines,Access to Therapy,Access to Treatment,Accessibility of Health Services,Availability of Health Services,Contraception Access,Contraceptive Access,Medication Access,Accessibility, Health Services,Contraceptive Availability,Health Services Geographic Accessibility,Program Accessibility,Access to Cares,Access to Contraceptions,Access to Medication,Access to Medicine,Access to Therapies,Access to Treatments,Access, Contraception,Access, Contraceptive,Access, Medication,Accessibilities, Health Services,Accessibility, Program,Availability, Contraceptive,Care, Access to,Cares, Access to,Contraception, Access to,Contraceptive Accesses,Health Services Availability,Medication Accesses,Medication, Access to,Medicine, Access to,Medicines, Access to,Therapy, Access to,Treatment, Access to
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000704 Analysis of Variance A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable. ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses
D013335 Students, Dental Individuals enrolled a school of dentistry or a formal educational program in leading to a degree in dentistry. Dental Student,Dental Students,Student, Dental

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