Chief Dental Officer Visits University Of Pittsburgh School Of Dental Medicine

PITTSBURGH, June 20 - An international leader in dental informatics, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine's Center for Dental Informatics showcased and shared their expertise with a delegation from the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Great Britain.  The British government is in the midst of developing a national electronic medical record system as part of the National Health Service, which will include a dental informatics program.

"Countries worldwide are making the development of  health information infrastructures a high priority.  Programs like the electronic health record have the potential to positively impact the practices of both physicians and dentists alike," said Dr. Heiko Spallek, Assistant Professor at the Center for Dental Informatics."We are excited that the British government has decided to incorporate dental health into it's national health infrastructure from the beginning.  It shows their commitment to advancing the general health and oral health of their people."

In addition to a briefing on the U.S. National Health Information Infrastructure and dentistry, members of the Center for Dental Informatics presented the latest in dental informatics research and its clinical applications.  Topics included the results of a recently completed chairside computer use study; data on the usability of practice management systems; and background on a proposed human-computer interface for chairside use. 

The Pitt researchers also shared plans for a Dental Informatics Online Community, a worldwide electronic community for individuals interested in dental informatics research.

"Although we work under two very different health care frameworks, there are a surprising number of similarities between the United States' and Great Britain 's electronic dental record programs," said Dr. Spallek.  "It is our hope and intention that this meeting will lead to a long future of collaborations with research personnel from the British National Health System."

The Office of the Chief Dental Officer's delegation included Tony Jenner, Head of Policy Development and Tim Brown, Private Secretary to the Chief Dental Officer. 

For more information on the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine's Center for Dental Informatics visit www.dental.pitt.edu/informatics.