Health-oriented Electronic Oral Health Record for Health Surveillance

Public health surveillance of oral health might benefit from increased access to and analysis of electronically available data including systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of outcome-specific data for use in public health action to improve oral health. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a new Health-oriented Electronic Oral Health Record (Health-EOHR) that integrated new oral health status graphical user interface, the health-oriented status and intervention model to facilitate oral health surveillance. We designed an experiment using focus groups and a Delphi process to develop health-oriented status and intervention model and graphical user interface. The Health-EOHR was implemented and integrated into the existing Electronic Health Record widely used in community hospitals. The study on usefulness for oral health surveillance was conducted. Overall, the dentists were significantly satisfied with the Health-EOHR compared to the existing EOHR (p < 0.001). The dentists found it easy to use and were generally satisfied with the function and the impact on their work, oral health services and surveillance.