OHNEP-sponsored ACPoral health literacy initiative, ‘Oral Health Patient FACTS,’ now available for download

New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing’s Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) Program and the American College of Physicians (ACP) have teamed up to create four patient-related oral health literacy fact sheets for distribution to internal medicine physicians and primary care providers. 

“Oral health is an important population health issue, but one that is frequently overlooked when clinicians and patients think about their overall health,” said Judith Haber, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Ursula Springer Leadership Professor in Nursing and executive director of the NYU Meyers Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) Program.  “It is optimal when primary care providers, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, and physician assistants integrate oral health into primary care encounters and collaborate with their dental colleagues.”

A growing body of scientific evidence shows links between oral health and overall health, especially for those with chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  

"The Oral Health Patient FACTS will help internists and primary care physicians integrate oral health into their practice," said ACP President Nitin Damle, MD, MS, FACP. “These educational resources will help patients understand that good oral health is important to overall health.”

Written in an easily accessible engaging style, in both English and Spanish, with high-quality relatable imagery, the Oral Health Patient FACTS are now available to download from ACP’s website and the OHNEP website.  

The Oral Health Patient FACTS were designed to be user-friendly, easy to understand, and aim to improve patients' oral health literacy by providing information about how oral health and overall health are connected.

The OHNEP/NIIOH sponsored ACP-oral health literacy initiative, The patient-focused facts cover the following topics:  Oral Health Overview (Spanish version),  Oral Health and Diabetes (Spanish version),  Oral Health and Older Adults (Spanish version),  Oral Health and HPV (Spanish version)

“A person’s oral health impacts their overall health and their quality of life,” said Dr. Erin Harnett, DNP, PNP, BC, Director of the OHNEP Program. “Patients with chronic disease, such as diabetes, are at increased risk for both oral complications and adverse health outcomes if their oral complications go untreated. Late-stage oral disease often results in significant and wasteful healthcare spending.”

“Primary care teams have the skills necessary to understand and intervene in the oral disease process; the relationships needed to engage patients and families in oral health self-care; and a structure for coordinating referrals to dentistry and supporting patients during transitions of care, particularly high-risk and vulnerable patients who bear the greatest burden of oral disease,” said Ralph Fuccillo, President and CEO of the DentaQuest Foundation.

“The primary care delivery system is in the midst of a transformation, striving to provide more patient-centered and team-based care,” said Dr. Haber. “This evolution provides new resources, and a new responsibility for addressing oral health as a component of comprehensive, whole-person care. This is why we put together the Oral Health Patient FACTS sheets, because we believe that in order to reduce the burden of oral disease and promote health equity, the efforts and skills of all healthcare team members, including patients, is a must!”

Acknowledgements:

The Oral Health Patient Facts project generously funded by the DentaQuest and Washington Dental Services Foundations, is an exemplar of an effective interprofessional partnership between the Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) Program and the American College of Physicians (ACP).  

About Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP) Program
The OHNEP Program is a national initiative designed to advance a national nursing oral health agenda through faculty development curriculum integration and establishment of "best practices" in clinical settings.  Funded by the DentaQuest and Washington Dental Services Foundation through the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health (NIIOH).

About DentaQuest Foundation
The DentaQuest Foundation (dentaquestfoundation.org) is the leading U.S. philanthropy focused solely on oral health. The Foundation is responding to the need to make oral health a priority at the national, state and community levels by fostering the development of a national network of oral health advocates. The DentaQuest Foundation emphasizes prevention, access to oral health care and partnerships with funders, providers, policymakers and community leaders. - See more at: http://dentaquestfoundation.org/about/guiding-principles#sthash.JXBxS9Ak.dpuf

About the American College of Physicians (ACP) 
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 143,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

About the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing is a global leader in nursing education, research, and practice. It offers a Bachelor of Science with a major in Nursing, a Master of Science and Post-Master’s Certificate Programs, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Doctor of Philosophy in nursing research and theory development.