131 - Implementation of an Integrated Electronic Dental Record: Staff Perspectives

Purpose: Inter-departmental communication between Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems has historically been poor, particularly in hospital-based dentistry units where limited real-time access to comprehensive medical histories can compromise patient safety and care. Transitioning from dental-specific EHRs to integrated medical platforms, such as Epic (Madison, WI), aims to streamline workflows, enhance patient safety, and reduce redundant data entry. This study evaluated the transition from a dental EHR (Axium) to the Epic cloud-based platform in a tertiary pediatric hospital, focusing on patient care, workflows, staff satisfaction, and areas for improvement.



Methods: This IRB-exempt, prospective, questionnaire-based study collected data from auxiliary staff, faculty, and residents at four intervals: 1-month pre-launch and 1-, 3-, and 6-months post-launch. Surveys were distributed electronically or on paper, with a 2-week response window. Respondents rated questions on a 4-point Likert scale, with 1 being most favorable.

Results: A total of 125 surveys were completed, including 44 pre-launch and 81 post-launch. Participant roles included faculty (14–16%), residents (24–40%), administrative staff (11–19%), hygienists (14–19%), and dental assistants (16–34%). Support staff in clinics during the launch was rated as the most effective transition tool (1.73), while cloud-based self-administered modules were least effective (3.69). Ordering lab tests and documenting immunizations posed the greatest challenges (3.61/3.71). Overall, respondents expressed high satisfaction with the Epic system (0.90).

Conclusion: The transition to Epic was largely rated as favorable/highly favorable, with significant improvements in patient data review, documentation, and satisfaction. Epic support staff during the launch was instrumental in ensuring a successful transition.

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