# Presentation: 038346

## Practical Solutions to Oral Health Data Challenges

- Kathryn K. Peppe, RN, MS
- Mark D. Siegal, DDS, MPH
- Ohio Department of Health

## Challenges

- Needs Assessment
- Advocating for resources
- Educating decision-makers
- Annual reporting for Title V

## MCH Block Grant Oral Health Performance Measures (Ohio)

- third grade children with dental sealants on one or more permanent molar teeth (National Core)

## MCH Block Grant Oral Health Performance Measures (Ohio)

- third grade children with an obvious need for dental care (State Negotiated Measure)

## MCH Block Grant Oral Health Performance Measures (Ohio)

- 6-9 y.o. EPSDT eligibles receiving a dental service (Health Status Indicator, developmental)

## FFY 2001 Ohio MCH Block Grant Needs Assessment

- “Oral health problems and access to dental care” was:
-  one of the Top 10 MCH health issues
- the highest scoring health issue for children and adolescents

## “Oral health problems and access to dental care” was:
mentioned among top health issues in surveys of local MCH programs, health commissioners, legislators and parents
the #1 unmet health care need of Ohioans (Family Health Survey)

- mentioned among top health issues in surveys of local MCH programs, health commissioners, legislators and parents
- the #1 unmet health care need of Ohioans (Family Health Survey)

## Translating Data into Dollars

- Linkage between needs assessment and state negotiated performance measures (SPM)
- Linkage between core/SPMs and FFY2001 budget

## Ohio’s Oral Health Data Collection Approach

- 1998-99 (Full survey)
- 2000-2004 (Annual screening surveys of sentinel schools)
- 2004-05 (Full survey)

## ASTDD Needs Assessment/Data Collection Tools

- 7-Step Model
- Basic Screening Surveys

## Getting the Goods

- NCEMCH                          (ASTDD 7-Step Model)
- 703-524-7802
- 703-524-9335 (fax)
- http://www.ncemch.org
- ASTDD (Basic Screening Surveys)
-     http://www.astdd.org

## 1999 Ohio Oral Health Needs Assessment Data Collection (for joint report on access to dental care)

- Oral health screening survey (336 schools)
- grades 1-3, state _and county_ levels
- Key Informant surveys
- Dentists
- Safety Net Dental Care Programs
- Low Income Consumers
- School Nurses at high risk elementaries
- Consumers (Ohio Family Health Survey, BRFSS)
- Medicaid data collaboration

## Sentinel Schools

- Purposive sample of 25 cooperative schools, representative of 1998-99 sample of 336 schools.
- Plan to screen 3rd graders annually, between large surveys.

## Selection Criteria for Sentinel Schools

- Unweighted percentages
- “Cooperation” scores of 4 or 5
- Schools with Blacks and Whites
- At least two within +/-1/2 s.d.:
- FRM
- Sealants
- Obvious need for care

## Comparison of Sentinel Schools with All Grade 3

## Effort:  Data Rich vs. Data Lite

## 1998-99 Data “hooks” Sealants

- No disparity in sealants among 8 y.o. children
- Medicaid recipients who got sealants at school often had subsequent claims from other dentists

## 1998-99 Data “hooks” Sealants

- Low income kids at schools with sealant programs were 3 times as likely to have sealants as those at schools without sealant programs

## 1998-99 Data “hooks”Access

- FRM program children were twice as likely to have obvious need for dental care

## 1998-99 Data “hooks”Access

- Parents of FRM program children were 4 times as likely to say they couldn’t get dental care that they wanted for their children
- 2/3 tried to get care

## Time