Performance improvement projects: Improving standard of oral health care

Implementing a strategy could enhance the delivery of Medicaid- and Children’s Health Insurance Program-based oral health care.

In a study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association, investigators examined performance indicators and subsequent interventions executed to improve oral health care delivery during annual performance improvement projects conducted by states’ managed care plans.

The investigators identified 67 performance improvement projects carried out across 19 U.S. states — a majority of which recorded beneficiaries’ use of oral health care services. Quality improvement interventions were introduced to streamline the use of these services for beneficiaries as well as focus on education, training and incentivized payments among clinicians who provided evidence-based oral care. These types of improvements may standardize oral health care delivery and encourage the use of more effective, responsible practices.

The investigators concluded that collaborative efforts between clinicians, Medicaid agencies and managed care plans could determine the sustainability of quality improvement measures and positive outcomes.

Read more: JADA

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