By Dr. Joseph D. Lim
The FDI World Dental Federation recently released a landmark Consensus Statement on Integrated Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
The FDI World Dental Federation (French: Fédération Dentaire Internationale) represents more than one million dentists worldwide, including dentists in the Philippines.
The FDI statement urges health systems worldwide to transition into digital health infrastructures, including eight core oral health indicators.
Developed by global experts, the eight key indicators include periodontal (gum) disease, caries, oral cancer screenings, oral health status, medical devices and implants information, prescription data, allergy information, and radiographic imaging.
Given that poor oral health can significantly impact overall health — including chronic conditions like diabetes — integration ensures that oral diseases are no longer treated in isolation.
The digital approach enables patients to receive more coordinated, timely and personalized care, with reduced risk of errors, better disease prevention and improved outcomes, the FDI said.
“Oral health is a crucial component of overall health, yet oral health indicators are often excluded from electronic health records,” said FDI President, Dr. Greg Chadwick.
“Integrating these indicators into EHRs can significantly improve diagnoses, treatment coordination, medication management and patient outcomes, while also strengthening interprofessional collaboration.”
FDI’s Integrated Electronic Health Records project addresses standardization, interoperability, data security, cost barriers, and international coordination.
The successful integration and utilization of electronic health records presents a unique opportunity to enhance patient care by unifying dental and medical digital health information into a single system.
Healthcare has increasingly adopted digital health records.
These records store patient medical and dental information in electronic data systems, largely replacing traditional paper-based records and transforming how patient information is managed and accessed.
The capture of individual health data in digital format significantly improves the availability of patient information for both patients and healthcare systems.
It enables the secure retrieval of critical health data anytime and anywhere, provided that systems support secure information sharing.
Digital records are more easily searchable, retrievable and storable, with backup options that reduce the risk of loss or damage.
They provide real-time access to up-to-date patient information, facilitating timely and informed decision-making.
This is especially beneficial in emergencies, during patient evaluations and diagnoses, when planning treatment, and even during patient consultations to ensure accuracy and continuity of care.
There are several types of digital health records.
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), for example, are used within a single healthcare practice, facility or specialty.
They are primarily designed for internal use.
Then there are the Electronic Dental Records (EDRs) specific to oral health and used within dental practices.
They are primarily designed for internal use, with limited interoperability.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have a wide breadth and scope of data and are designed to provide a comprehensive view of a patient’s overall health and enable care coordination across multiple healthcare settings.
They have intermediate interoperability and may be accessible to multiple healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics and specialized care centers.
Integrated Electronic Health Records (Integrated EHRs) contain a very wide breadth and scope of data, combining information from various healthcare systems, including medical and dental disciplines, into a unified record.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De La Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/WDJ