There is no gold standard for integrating comprehensive oral health services into primary care in SBHCs. However, in fully integrated SBHCs, multidisciplinary care teams (e.g., medical, oral health, mental health, nutrition) are responsible for providing whole-person care for students enrolled in the SBHC. Using a combined electronic medical and dental record, SBHCs have a defined workflow to ensure that all students receive evidence-based screening, preventive, educational, and primary care services. SBHCs are also equipped to monitor students at increased risk, including those with chronic diseases, to provide early intervention and treatment.
Fully integrated SBHCs have structured networks for referring students to health specialists for care that is beyond the scope of the services the SBHC offers. SBHCs have processes in place to ensure that students attend their appointments with health specialists and that information from appointments is communicated to the SBHC and becomes part of students' health records.
With written protocols in place, SBHCs may delegate preventive care (e.g., fluoride varnish application) and monitoring activities (e.g., body mass index calculations) to non-clinician staff. SBHCs also engage students in their own care through shared-decision making and specific activation and engagement techniques such as teach-back, motivational interviewing, and self-management.
