Need for an Ethical Framework for Testing for Systemic Diseases in Dental Clinics

Diagnostic paths for a mouth-breathing patient

INTRODUCTION

The clinical choice of diagnostic tests or treatment options is determined by the probability that the value of their execution (called the warrant for the test) exceeds their cost, and by their usefulness. The purpose of this study was to determine the warrant and usefulness of STOP-Bang, an obstructive sleep apnea screening questionnaire, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) information about the minimal cross-sectional area for referring a mouth-breathing patient to a sleep specialist and for modifying planned orthodontic treatment.

METHODS

A branching survey was used to identify the prominence of paths between the presenting situation, 2 diagnostic tests, and 2 referral and/or treatment options. A description was given of a hypothetical patient: an overweight, mouth-breathing female teenager. Path analysis was used as a method for quantifying diagnostic warrant and usefulness.

RESULTS

There was a wide variation among the 125 orthodontists who responded to the survey. All paths were chosen. The use of tests altered the referral (χ² = 8.039; P = 0.03) and/or treatment decisions (χ² = 12.636; P = 0.005). Ownership of a CBCT system significantly influenced the use of this diagnostic test, with owning a CBCT system resulting in greater use in-office (χ² = 50.416; P <0.001) and greater use in the study (χ² = 22.959; P <0.001). The usefulness of the diagnostic tests could not be determined directly because common values were used for each test, but the variation in the use of this standard stimulus was very large, indicating personal differences in the interpretation of actual data.

CONCLUSIONS

Wide variation in the choice and interpretation of diagnostic tests for referral and orthodontic treatment modification relative to airway condition exists among orthodontists. Diagnostic path analysis is a potentially useful model for studying how practitioners make decisions independent of research evidence.

HIV screening in the dental setting in New York State

While primary care providers in New York State (NYS) are mandated to offer all patients a HIV test, still many NYS residents miss the HIV screening opportunity. To fill the gap, and as the CDC recommends, this study aimed to examine the feasibility of implementing HIV screening in dental setting, identify patient characteristics associated with acceptance of HIV rapid testing, and discuss best practices of HIV screening in dental setting. New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) collaborated with the Northeast/Caribbean AIDS Education and Training Center (NECA AETC) and three dental schools in New York State to offer free HIV screening tests as a component of routine dental care between February 2016 and March 2018. Ten clinics in upstate New York and Long Island participated in the study. HIV screening was performed using the OraQuick™ In-Home HIV Test. 14,887 dental patients were offered HIV screening tests; 9,057 (60.8%) were screened; and one patient (0.011%) was confirmed HIV positive and linked to medical care. Of all dental patients, 33% had never been screened for HIV; and 56% had not had a primary care visit or had not been offered an HIV screening test by primary care providers in the previous 12 months. Multi-level generalized linear modeling analysis indicated that test acceptance was significantly associated with patient's age, race/ethnicity, gender, country of origin, primary payer (or insurance), past primary care visits, past HIV testing experiences, and the poverty level of patient's community. HIV screening is well accepted by dental patients and can be effectively integrated into routine dental care. HIV screening in the dental setting can be a good option for first-time testers, those who have not seen a primary care provider in the last 12 months, and those who have not been offered HIV screening at their last primary care visit.

Acceptability of oral rapid HIV testing at dental clinics in communities with high HIV prevalence in South Florida

Background

Expanding HIV screening for populations at risk necessitates testing in nontraditional settings. We assessed HIV testing in dental clinics in South Florida, an urban area with the highest rates of HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2015.

Aims

We explored patients’ acceptance of oral HIV rapid tests administered by dental providers and identified reasons for accepting or declining HIV testing.

Methods

During 2014 and 2015, dentists and hygienists at two federally qualified health center (FQHC) dental clinics who serve racial/ethnic minority patient populations in South Florida were trained to administer oral HIV rapid tests as a part of a routine dental visit. Patients presenting for dental services were offered a rapid HIV test and brief survey regarding their demographics, HIV testing history and behaviors.

Results

We enrolled 600 patients (median age = 43 years; IQR: 29–56 years), 45% non-Hispanic black and 35% Hispanic/Latino, 83% graduated high school, and 50% unemployed. Most (85%) accepted oral HIV rapid testing (none tested HIV-positive); 14% had never been tested for HIV. The most common reasons for testing were a desire to know HIV status (56%) and free testing (54%). Among 93 (15%) patients who declined testing, 58% were tested recently and 31% felt confident that they were HIV-negative; however, 74 (80%) who declined testing said they would feel comfortable discussing HIV prevention with their dentist. Additionally, 290 of 600 patients (48%) reported condomless vaginal or anal sex in the past 6 months. Further, among 119 patients who had condomless sex with an HIV-positive partner and/or one whose HIV status was unknown, 98 (82%) accepted the oral HIV test.

Conclusion

Dental clinics may provide expanded opportunities for oral HIV rapid testing and conversations about HIV prevention in high HIV prevalence communities.