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Please provide a description of your organization’s successful dental public health project by
completing this form. Add extra lines to the form as needed but stay within word limits.
Please return the completed form to Lori Cofano: [email protected]
Name of Project
Idaho’s Oral Health Surveillance System
Executive Summary
(250-word limit))
The Idaho Oral Health Program (IOHP) has developed an online oral health data dashboard
known as the Idaho Oral Health Surveillance System (IOHSS). The dashboard was designed
to provide timely oral health data for planning and evaluation of Idaho’s oral healthcare
delivery system and prevention programs. The system is meant to involve Idaho
communities, stakeholders, and health policymakers in identifying and targeting oral health
problems, disparities, and access to services.
The IOHSS offers a consistent approach to assessing the oral health of Idahoans and
provides a way to determine health status changes over time. The key element of the IOHSS
is the continuous submission, integration, and analysis of oral health data aimed at
measuring changes in Idaho’s oral health and oral healthcare delivery system.
Where available, the oral health data presented includes estimates for selected demographic
groups, geographic levels, and a trend over time for indicators. Because these data are
compiled from many different sources, some estimates are more current than others. As
newer data becomes available, staff update the site as quickly as capacity allows.
The dashboard is hosted on the Get Healthy Idaho website, which is supported by the
Division of Public Health within the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Get Healthy
Idaho functions as a resource for sharing population health data, including categories such as
Idaho’s leading health indicators, social determinants of health, and statewide healthcare
innovation plan. The numerous measures available on the website provide a snapshot of the
overall health of Idahoans.
Name of Program or Organization Submitting Project
Idaho Oral Health Program
(Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Public Health)
Dental Public Health Project
Descriptive Report Form
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Essential Public Health Services to Promote Health and Oral Health in the United States
Place an “X” in the box next to the Core Public Health Function(s) that apply to the project.
X
Assessment
Policy development
Assurance
http://www.astdd.org/state-guidelines/
Project submissions will be categorized by the Core Public Health Functions on the ASTDD website.
Healthy People 2030 Objectives
This information will be used as a data resource for ASTDD purposes.
Increase the number of states and DC that have an oral and craniofacial health surveillance
system.
Keywords for sorting the project by topic.
Provide three to five keywords (e.g., access to care, children, coalitions, dental sealants,
fluoride, policy, Medicaid, older adults, pregnant women, etc.) that describe the project.
Keywords are used to categorize submissions.
Surveillance, Data, Dashboard, Reporting
Detailed Project Description
Project Overview
(750-word limit)
1. What problem does the project address? How was the problem identified?
The Idaho Oral Health Surveillance System (IOHSS) addresses the problem of
disseminating relevant and current oral health data in an easy-to-use and cost-effective
manner. Past state oral health action plans consistently cited the need for a continuous
surveillance system to collect, analyze, and interpret current, accurate, and representative
information to measure the oral health status of Idaho’s population, pinpoint changes in
health and the burden of disease, and identify patterns of oral healthcare access, provider
supply, and quality of care. The surveillance system was designed to address those needs
as well as identify gaps and inadequacies in collected data.
2. Who is the target population?
The target population for the IOHSS dashboard is oral health champions and partners
throughout the state and Idaho communities. Partners include, but are not limited to, health
policymakers, other government agencies and departments, public health districts, nonprofit
organizations, advocacy organizations, private dental and medical practitioners, community
health centers, community-based organizations, and colleges or universities.
3. Provide relevant background information.
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The Idaho Oral Health Program (IOHP) historically conducted limited evaluation of
surveillance data and the use of data before the creation of the IOHSS. The IOHP felt that
building a strong evaluation capacity would enable the program to review current data,
identify missing data and develop a comprehensive evaluation plan for the future. The
creation of the IOHSS was completed as a deliverable to launch an online oral health
surveillance system under a CDC grant. To ensure the awareness of the system and its
usefulness, the IOHP evaluated it with stakeholders. The evaluation results were used to
make any necessary improvements to the online system.
4. Describe the project goals.
The overarching goal of the IOHSS is to make data readily available to oral health partners
to aid future efforts and help drive the oral health goals of partner organizations. The guiding
principles of public health surveillance used in developing the IOHSS were to provide
actionable information to guide public policy and programs, be periodically evaluated, collect
high-quality data in the least expensive manner possible, and ensure personal confidentiality
and privacy of data. Specific goals of the IOHSS were to:
1. Design, implement, and operate a dynamic system that provides Idaho-specific oral
health data on an ongoing basis;
2. Collect and manage data from a broad range of national, state, and stakeholder sources;
3. Analyze and interpret data to help identify changes in disease patterns and oral
healthcare delivery patterns;
4. Continuously disseminate findings and information on changing patterns to stakeholders
and the public;
5. Employ the oral health and risk factor data to design effective interventions, implement
ongoing programs, and provide data to evaluate the effectiveness of Idaho’s oral health
programs and delivery system.
Resources, Data, Impact, and Outcomes
(750-word limit)
1. What resources were/are necessary to support the project (e.g., staffing, volunteers,
funding, partnerships, collaborations with other agencies or organizations)?
Staffing skills and resources for the development of the Idaho Oral Health Surveillance
System (IOHSS) included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded and in-
kind epidemiological support, data management, information technology (IT) support, oral
health policy leadership, and data collection. Staff included epidemiology, evaluation, and
data analysts from the Idaho Oral Health Program (IOHP), Idaho Cancer Data Registry, and
Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; data collection personnel; data entry
personnel; and IT support for dashboard implementation.
Stakeholders and partners involved in the creation of the IOHSS included the following:
Idaho Oral Health Alliance, Idaho Public Health Districts, Idaho Cancer Data Registry, IOHP,
Delta Dental of Idaho, Idaho Division of Medicaid, Idaho Dental Hygienists’ Association,
Idaho State Dental Association, Idaho State Board of Dentistry, Idaho Department of
Education, health professionals, faculty at dental and dental hygiene schools, Association of
State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD), Idaho residents, CDC, community
organizations, Idaho Head Start Collaboration, the Southwest Idaho Area Health Education
Center, and several others.
The Idaho Oral Health Surveillance System (IOHSS) is housed within the Get Healthy Idaho
webpage. Staffing involved in the maintenance of the IOHSS includes CDC grant-funded
epidemiological and IOHP staff and in-kind IT staff as needed.
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National data systems and sources are used for many of the measures on the IOHSS. The
following partnerships and resources are critical to obtaining the data reported on the site:
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey - Bureau of Vital Records
and Health Statistics (IDHW)
• National Survey of Children’s Health – Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Bureau
• Annual Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Report, form
CMS-416 – Medicaid
• Water Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS) – Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC)
• Cancer Data Registry of Idaho (CDRI)
• Idaho Pregnancy Risk Assessment Tracking System (PRATS) - Bureau of Vital Records
and Health Statistics (BVRHS) (IDHW)
• National Syndromic Surveillance Program – Bureau of Communicable Disease
Prevention (BCDP) (IDHW)
• Idaho Smile Survey – Data is collected by the IOHP
2. (a) What process measure data are being collected (e.g., sealants placed, people hired,
etc.)?
• Tooth Loss
o Percentage of Idaho adults (65 and older) who lost all natural teeth due to tooth
decay or gum disease
o Percentage of Idaho adults (65 and older) who lost 6 or more teeth due to tooth
decay or gum disease
• Caries (Cavities)
o Percentage of Idaho 3
rd
graders with caries (cavities) experience
o Percentage of Idaho 3
rd
graders with untreated (active) tooth decay
• Dental Visits
o Number of Medicaid/CHIP eligible Idaho Children who received dental services
o Number of Medicaid/CHIP eligible Idaho Children who received preventive dental
services
o Percentage of Idaho children, ages 1–17, who had a preventive dental visit in the
past year
o Percentage of Idaho adults who visited the dentist in the past year
o Percentage of Idaho adults with diabetes who visited the dentist in the past year
o Percentage of Idaho mothers who did not receive routine dental care during
pregnancy
• Dental Sealants
o Percentage of Idaho 3
rd
graders with dental sealants on at least one molar
• Water Fluoridation
o Fluoridated – whether natural or adjusted
o Optimally fluoridated
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(b) What outcome measure data are being collected (e.g., improvement in health)?
• Cancer
o Rate of invasive oral cavity and pharynx cancer incidence
o Rate of invasive oral cavity and pharynx cancer mortality
• Emergency Room Visits
o Non-Traumatic Oral Health Emergency Department (ED) Visits (by year)
(c) How frequently are data collected?
IOHSS data are compiled from many different sources, so the frequency of data collection
varies, and some estimates are more current than others. As newer data becomes
available, staff update the site as quickly as capacity allows. The following is a breakdown
of reporting timeframes for each data point.
• Tooth Loss – every two years (even years)
• Caries (cavities) – every four years (current data has been delayed due to COVID)
• Dental Visits – every four years
• Dental Sealants – every four years (current data has been delayed due to COVID)
• Water fluoridation – annually
• Cancer – annually
• Emergency Room Visits – annually (data is reported by week)
3. How are the results shared?
The IOHSS is available on the internet at https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/iohss-
dashboard-oral-health. Additionally, data is reported on and disseminated to stakeholders
and community partners by presenting surveillance data and topics in reports and at
meetings.
Budget and Sustainability
(500-word limit) )
Note: Charts and tables may be used.
1. What is/was the budget for the project?
There is no specific allocated budget for this project. The Idaho Oral Health Surveillance
System (IOHSS) was created and is maintained with staff time.
2. How is the project funded (e.g., federal, national, state, local, private funding)?
The creation of the IOHSS dashboard project was funded as a deliverable under a CDC
grant. A percentage of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Director’s time
and Idaho Oral Health Program (IOHP) staff time were paid for by this grant. Additional staff
time, such as IT, was provided in-kind. There is no specific budget for the update and
maintenance of the IOHSS. However, percentages of IOHP staff time and the Chronic
Disease Epidemiology/Surveillance Director’s time continue to be paid by CDC grant
funding.
3. What is the sustainability plan for the project?
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The IOHSS is hosted on the Get Healthy Idaho website. Data will continue to be collected
by IOHP staff, and the IOHSS will be updated as part of the Get Healthy Idaho website
updates.
Lessons Learned
(750-word limit)
(a) What lessons were learned that would be useful for others seeking to implement a
similar project?
Having an evaluation of the Idaho Oral Health Surveillance System (IOHSS) dashboard
that includes external partners and stakeholders was critical for ensuring that any
dashboard revisions would facilitate the use and utility of the dashboard for
partners/stakeholders.
(b) Any unanticipated outcomes?
There has been a great deal of interest from other states on the emergency visit
measures within the IOHSS.
(c) Is there anything you would have done differently?
After the IOHSS dashboard was publicly released, we had conversations with other
states and ASTDD on how to make the emergency visit measure on non-traumatic
dental visits match ASTDD guidance on working with emergency department visit data
(the IOHSS measure comes from syndromic surveillance data rather than direct
emergency department data). Idaho has recently created an internal dashboard
depicting these visits in a way that follows ASTDD guidance and hopes to incorporate
this into the IOHSS dashboard in the near future. Reaching out to ASTDD sooner for
their input would have been preferable.
Resources
List resources developed by this project that may be useful to others (e.g., guidelines,
infographics, policies, educational materials). Include links if available.
https://www.gethealthy.dhw.idaho.gov/iohss-dashboard-oral-health
Name:
Robert Graff, PhD
Title:
Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Director
Agency/Organization:
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Address:
450 W State St, Boise, ID 83702
Phone:
208-334-6521
Email:
[email protected]daho.gov
Name:
Aimee Critser
Title:
Health Program Manager
Agency/Organization:
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
Address:
450 W State St, Boise, ID 83702
Phone:
208-501-3905
Email:
aimee.duvalcritser@dhw.idaho.gov
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To Be Completed By ASTDD
Descriptive report
number:
15003
Associated BPAR:
State-based Oral Health Surveillance System
Submitted by:
Idaho Oral Health Program
(Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Public
Health)
Submission file
name:
DES15003ID-oh-surveillance-system
Submission date:
July 2023
Last reviewed:
July 2023
Last updated:
July 2023