After his dental practice took part in a blood pressure pilot, Jeff Sherer explains how the additional service helped to elevate patient care.
As a kid it was always my dream to be a medical doctor, helping patients and curing strange diseases like in popular television shows. Unfortunately, my teachers at school did not share the same vision for me, and somehow through a series of events I found myself as a dentist. Although my career has been immensely satisfying, having had the opportunity to take part in post graduate study in dental implants and sedation, I always felt that as dentist there was so much more we can do for our patients.
Last year, two of the integrated care boards (ICBs) – Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and Humber – asked if we would be interested in taking part in a pilot scheme which was designed to take the blood pressure of patients who were attending the practice, with a view of helping to identify patients with undiagnosed hypertension.
Upon receiving the invitation, I was quick to express my interest in taking part, as I felt that it would be a positive move for both patients and to up skill the existing team. The part that I was really excited about, was that the pilot was primarily focused on the wider dental team, with DCPs being the ones to take the blood pressure readings of patients. The opportunity really presented the chance for the whole team to contribute to patient care on a unique level.
Team building
There was a lengthy setting up process before we were able to start taking free blood pressure readings for patients at the practice. The DCPs who were going to be carrying this out were required to take part in mandatory training, which involved watching a series of videos and obtaining their training certificates. In addition, we had to obtain clearance from our indemnity provider to provide assurances that the DCPs would be covered by indemnity in the event of a patient complaint.
‘For those patients who were found to have elevated blood pressure readings, and subsequently visited their GP for further treatment, this simple intervention at the dentist may ultimately have saved them from a future stroke’
In the practice we displayed posters and modified our email reminders to let patients know that they could have a complimentary blood pressure reading when they next attended. There was certainly a feeling among the team of looking forward to the chance to experience this and expand their capabilities.
The one negative part of agreeing to take part was there would be a large volume of data that would need to be collected and submitted each month. In typical fashion, each ICB had their own custom way of returning this data to them, which involved having several Teams meetings with technical support to understand some of the NHS systems for providing data, with no patient identifiable markers.
Reaction of patients
Initially patients were quite surprised and hesitant about the fact that we were offering to take their blood pressure in the dental practice. Some thought that there would be a charge, or they had to get permission from their GP and were put off, but for most patients, once we explained why were doing this, it was positively received.
It did make us wonder how many patients may have elevated blood pressure levels merely because they were at the dentist!
During the course of the pilot, which lasted for approximately eight months, we were successful in identifying several patients who presented with very high blood pressure, and in turn referring them to their GP for further investigation.
It was really a great feeling to be able to look after our patients in a more holistic way, caring for their whole body not just their teeth and gums. It certainly helped to build better relationships between our patients and staff, and it helped to build confidence in those carrying out the readings.
For those patients who were found to have elevated blood pressure readings, and subsequently visited their GP for further treatment, this simple intervention at the dentist may ultimately have saved them from a future stroke.
The future?
While our pilot has come it an end, it is really a great reminder of the value of making every visit count in healthcare. We are considering introducing this as a standard practice in all of our practices, irrespective of any NHS initiatives.
The whole process made us consider what other services could be offered in dental practices and what can be done in the future.
Thinking practically, there is no reason why dental practices could not offer diabetes testing, weight loss management, flu jabs and vaccinations. With these enhanced services, there would be even more reasons for our patients to smile.
