Health History Tool Enables Interdisciplinary Care

The Anthem Blue Cross Dental Patient Health History Tool is designed to allow dentists to view integrated patient health histories in real time. Healthcare providers then can co-manage chronic conditions, increase instances of early detection, improve patient outcomes and experiences, and reduce costs for employers and patients, the company reports.

“Because 90% of diseases’ first symptoms are oral, improving early detection is crucial to successful treatment,” said Scott Towers, president of Anthem’s dental division. “The Dental Patient Health History Tool provides dentists with a previously unavailable wealth of patient care and condition history, allowing them to make more informed decisions and improve outcomes.”

By providing dentists with extensive, integrated patient information including prescription medications, medical diagnoses, care gap alerts, and lab test results, the Dental Patient Health History Tool offers an unprecedented and more comprehensive view of a person’s overall health, Anthem says.

The solution helps dentists better identify new or existing health risks including oral cancer, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, or side effects from medications prescribed by other providers in an effort to mitigate complications and support patient health, according to the company. Plus, it complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Seamless access to diagnostic information such as ICD-10 medical codes accompanies by simple explanations gives dentists who are unfamiliar with ICD coding a better understanding of the information, Anthem says. This, coupled with an integrated view of their patients’ overall health provided in a convenient, secure online format enables them to provide improved care and support, the company adds.

Available to dentists in Anthem’s dental preferred provider organization network, the tool is the only solution on the market that provides consolidated access to a patient’s health history beyond dental records, Anthem says. It also helps dental providers offer more coordinated and comprehensive care to their patients, the company says.

“Anthem’s Dental Patient Health History Tool is an amazing feature that allows me to see my patients’ medical and prescription history,” said Marc Schwartz, DDS, of the Wilshire Dental Group in Los Angeles. “Having access to this pertinent medical information gives me a more accurate picture of my patients’ health so I can deliver more safe and timely treatment.”