R-2306-18926

A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) is an osteopathic medical school with health sciences schools and colleges spread across Missouri, Kansas and Arizona.

This proposal is one of 10 selected finalists for the Community and Care Transformation RFP. Through this proposal, ATSU is seeking to replicate a successful model of teledentistry currently delivered in Brazil. This model is asynchronous, in which patients send pictures of legions in their mouths via email to community care providers, which allowed those providers to diagnose and provide care guidance to patients, sometimes eliminating the need for an in-person visit altogether.

ATSU will tailor this model to allow community oral health care providers across the state of Arizona to utilize the two oral pathologists housed at ATSU for treatment planning through a hub-and-spoke teldentistry protocol.

The project will happen in a phased approach. First, up to five community health centers will be recruited to participate in the project. Once recruited, the project director will plan site visits with community health center staff, volunteers, and a group of patients to discuss and determine the most appropriate way to implement the project in each clinic. Each community health center will be trained in the project’s hub-and-spoke teledentistry protocol. When oral lesions are found, practitioners at the community health center will follow specific guidance from the project director to document the lesion and securely send photographs and other information to one of the two oral pathologists in the state.

The pathologist will provide guidance and treatment next steps to the community health center provider, who will coordinate any additional needed next steps with the patient.

The ATSU project director will work with CHC administrators and community members to gather patient feedback throughout the project. To assess their experiences, patients will be asked to participate in ongoing electronic patient experience assessments distributed by trusted community volunteers. The project team will develop a guidance document to be that will outline necessary steps to replicate this model in other clinics. Online, webinar-style courses describing this model will also be developed.

The budget for this proposal is $125,000, which represents less than 1% of ATSU's overall budget. Funding will support three project staff salaries, technology to be used in the delivery of the teledentistry model, participant incentives, and meeting expenses.