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The patient‐centered dental home: A standardized definition for quality assessment, improvement, and integration
Author(s) -
Damiano Peter,
Reynolds Julie,
Herndon Jill Boylston,
McKernan Susan,
Kuthy Raymond
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
health services research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.706
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1475-6773
pISSN - 0017-9124
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6773.13067
Subject(s) - accreditation , stakeholder , medical home , delphi method , quality (philosophy) , medicine , medline , medical education , family medicine , nursing , psychology , primary care , computer science , public relations , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , law , political science
Objective To develop the first standardized definition of the patient‐centered dental home (PCDH). Data Sources/Study Setting Primary data from a 55‐member national expert panel and public comments. Study Design We used a modified Delphi process with three rounds of surveys to collect panelists’ ratings of PCDH characteristics and open‐ended comments. The process was supplemented with a 1‐month public comment period. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We calculated median ratings, analyzed consensus using the interpercentile range adjusted for symmetry, and qualitatively evaluated comments. Principal Findings Forty‐nine experts (89%) completed three rounds and identified eight essential PCDH characteristics, resulting in the following definition: “The patient‐centered dental home is a model of care that is accessible, comprehensive, continuous, coordinated, patient‐ and family‐centered, and focused on quality and safety as an integrated part of a health home for people throughout the life span.” Conclusions This PCDH definition provides the foundation for developing measures for research, care improvement, and accreditation and is aligned with the patient‐centered medical home. Consensus among a broad national expert panel—including provider, payer, and accreditation stakeholder organizations and experts in medicine, dentistry, and quality measurement—supports the definition's usability and its potential to facilitate medical‐dental primary care integration.