JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Over the past 50 years, dental informatics has developed significantly in the field of health information systems. Accordingly, several studies have been conducted on standardized clinical coding systems, data capture, and clinical data reuse in dentistry.

Objective:

The primary objective of this systematic review was to summarize studies on standardized clinical coding systems and electronic dental record (EDR) data capture in dentistry. The secondary objective was to explore the practical implications of reusing EDR data in clinical decision support systems, quality measure development, and clinical research.

Methods:

Based on the definition of health information systems, we divided the literature search into 3 specific sub-searches: “standardized clinical coding systems,” “data capture,” and “reuse of routine patient care data.” PubMed and Web of Science were searched for peer-reviewed articles. The review was conducted following the PRISMA protocol.

Results:

A total of 43 articles were identified for inclusion in the review. Of these, 15 were related to “standardized clinical coding systems,” 15 to “data capture,” and 13 to “reuse of routine patient care data.” Articles related to standardized clinical coding systems focused on the design and/or development of proposed systems, on their evaluation and validation, on their adoption in academic settings, and on user perception. Articles related to data capture addressed the issue of data completeness, evaluated user interfaces and workflow integration, and proposed technical solutions. Finally, articles related to reuse of routine patient care data focused on clinical decision support systems centered on patient care, institutional or population-based health monitoring support systems, and clinical research.

Conclusions:

While the development of health information systems, and especially standardized clinical coding systems, has led to significant progress in research and quality measures, the vast majority of reviewed articles were published in the US. Clinical decision support systems that reuse EDR data have been little studied. Likewise, few studies have examined the working environment of dental practitioners or the pedagogical value of using health information systems in dentistry.