Alfa Yansane

• Harvard University

Background The objective of this study was to compare, in vitro, two dentinal caries lesion detector methods, Caries Finder and BlueCheck, to determine if they were substantially equivalent in their ability to aid visualization of demineralized dentin and to also to compare their performance compared to the traditional visual/tactile method of dent...

Background: The objective of this study was to compare two dentinal caries lesion detector methods, Caries Finder and BlueCheck, to determine if they were substantially equivalent in their ability to aid visualization of demineralized dentin and to also to compare their performance compared to the traditional visual/tactile method of dentinal carie...

Objectives Learning from clinical data on the subject of safety with regards to patient care in dentistry is still largely in its infancy. Current evidence does not provide epidemiological estimates on adverse events (AEs) associated with dental care. The goal of the dental practice study was to quantify and describe the nature and severity of harm...

Objectives The use of interactive mobile health (mHealth) applications to monitor patient-reported postoperative pain outcomes is an emerging area in dentistry that requires further exploration. This study aimed to evaluate and improve the usability of an existing mHealth application. Materials and methods The usability of the application was asse...

Aim To develop and validate an automated electronic health record (EHR)‐based algorithm to suggest a periodontal diagnosis based on the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions. Materials and Methods Using material published from the 2017 World Workshop, a tool was iteratively developed to suggest a periodon...

The overarching goal of the third scientific oral health symposium was to introduce the concept of a learning health system to the dental community and to identify and discuss cutting‐edge research and strategies using data for improving the quality of dental care and patient safety. Conference participants included clinically active dentists, dent...

Background: Children are the patient subgroup with the lowest error tolerance regarding deep sedation (DS)-supported care. This study assessed the safety of DS-supported pediatric dental treatment carried out in an outpatient setting through retrospective review of patient charts. Methods: An automated script was developed to identify charts of...

Objective: This study assessed contributing factors associated with dental adverse events (AEs). Methods: Seven electronic health record-based triggers were deployed identifying potential AEs at 2 dental institutions. From 4106 flagged charts, 2 reviewers examined 439 charts selected randomly to identify and classify AEs using our dental AE type...

Objectives: To develop outcomes of care quality measures derived from the dental electronic health record (EHR) to assess the occurrence and timely treatment of tooth decay. Methods: Quality measures were developed to assess whether decay was treated within 6 months and if new decay occurred in patients seen. Using EHR-derived data of the state...

Background: To achieve high-quality health care, adverse events (AEs) must be proactively recognized and mitigated. However, there is often ambiguity in applying guidelines and definitions. We describe the iterative calibration process needed to achieve a shared definition of AEs in dentistry. Our alignment process includes both independent and co...

Background A learning health system (LHS) is a health system in which patients and clinicians work together to choose care on the basis of best evidence and to drive discovery as a natural outgrowth of every clinical encounter to ensure the right care at the right time. An LHS for dentistry is now feasible, as an increased number of oral health car...

Objectives: While adverse events (AEs) are all too prevalent, their underlying causes are difficult to assess because they are often multifactorial. Standardizing the language of dental AEs is an important first step toward increasing patient safety for the dental patient. Methods: We followed a multimodal approach building a dental AE inventory...

Introduction: Chart review is central to understanding adverse events (AEs) in medicine. In this article, we describe the process and results of educating chart reviewers assigned to evaluate dental AEs. Methods: We developed a Web-based training program, "Dental Patient Safety Training," which uses both independent and consensus-based curricula...

Background Longitudinal patient level data available in the electronic health record (EHR) allows for the development, implementation, and validations of dental quality measures (eMeasures). Objective We report the feasibility and validity of implementing two eMeasures. The eMeasures determined the proportion of patients receiving a caries risk ass...

Background Our objective was to measure the proportion of patients for which comprehensive periodontal charting, periodontal disease risk factors (diabetes status, tobacco use, and oral home care compliance), and periodontal diagnoses were documented in the electronic health record (EHR). We developed an EHR-based quality measure to assess how well...

Background: Our objective was to measure the proportion of patients for which comprehensive periodontal charting, periodontal disease risk factors (diabetes status, tobacco use, and oral home care compliance), and periodontal diagnoses were documented in the electronic health record (EHR). We developed an EHR-based quality measure to assess how wel...

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate four different methods for monitoring annually defined quality measures on a monthly basis, so as to best predict year-end performance throughout the reporting year. Methods: We developed four methods for monitoring annual measures by month: 1) Monthly Proportion: The proportion of patients with one or more...

Background: Although sealants are an established and recommended caries-preventive treatment, many children still fail to receive them. In addition, research has shown that existing measures underestimate care by overlooking the sealable potential of teeth before evaluating care. To address this, the authors designed and evaluated 3 novel dental e...

Objectives: Despite a significant national investment in oral health, there is little understanding of the return in terms of quality. Value-based payments aim to refocus provider reimbursement based on the value created to the patient. Our objectives were to apply a set of dental quality measures to help determine the value of preventive dental c...

Background: Errors can happen during patient care, and some result in harm to the patient. Work place stress has been well established in dentistry, but its relation with errors in the delivery of patient care is less understood. The authors evaluated the relationship between burnout, work engagement, and self-reported dental errors among American...

Introduction: To fill the void created by insufficient dental terminologies, a multi-institutional workgroup was formed among members of the Consortium for Oral Health Research and Informatics to develop the Dental Diagnostic System (DDS) in 2009. The adoption of dental diagnosis terminologies by providers must be accompanied by rigorous usability...

Background: Preventable medical errors in hospital settings are the third leading cause of deaths in the United States. However, less is known about harm that occurs in patients in outpatient settings, where the majority of care is delivered. We do not know the likelihood that a patient sitting in a dentist chair will experience harm. Additionally...

Background: Burnout is a threat to patient safety. It relates to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment. Work engagement conversely composed of levels of vigor, dedication, and absorption in one's profession. The aim of this study was to examine burnout and work engagement among US dentists. Methods: This st...

Background Patients with diabetes are at increased risk of developing oral complications, and annual dental examinations are an endorsed preventive strategy. The authors evaluated the feasibility and validity of implementing an automated electronic health record (EHR)–based dental quality measure to determine whether patients with diabetes received...

Background: Dentists strive to provide safe and effective oral healthcare. However, some patients may encounter an adverse event (AE) defined as "unnecessary harm due to dental treatment." In this research, we propose and evaluate two systems for categorizing the type and severity of AEs encountered at the dental office. Methods: Several existin...

Background: Standardized dental diagnostic terminologies (SDDxTs) were introduced decades ago. Their use has been on the rise, accompanying the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). One of the most broadly used terminologies is the Dental Diagnostic System (DDS). Our aim was to assess the adoption of SDDxTs by US dental schools by using th...

Background Documenting standardized dental diagnostic terms represents an emerging change for how dentistry is practiced. We focused on a mid-sized dental group practice as it shifted to a policy of documenting patients’ diagnoses using standardized terms in the electronic health record. Methods Kotter’s change framework was translated into interv...

Background: Although some patients experience adverse events (AEs) resulting in harm caused by treatments in dentistry, few published reports have detailed how dental providers describe these events. Understanding how dental treatment professionals view AEs is essential to building a safer environment in dental practice. Methods: The authors int...

Objective: Secondary data are a significant resource for in-depth epidemiologic and public health research. It also allows for effective quality control and clinical outcomes measurement. To illustrate the value of structured diagnostic entry, a use case was developed to quantify adherence to current practice guidelines for managing chronic modera...

Soya proteins and isoflavones have been reported to exert beneficial effects on the serum lipid profile. More recently, this claim is being challenged. The objective of this study was to comprehensively examine the effects of soya consumption on the lipid profile using published trials. A detailed literature search was conducted via MEDLINE (from 2...

Attitudes and views are critical to the adoption of innovation. Although there have been broadening calls for a standardized dental diagnostic terminology, little is known about the views of private practice dental team members regarding the adoption of such a terminology. The authors developed a survey by using validated questions identified throu...