Discrepancies Between Dental Parent-Derived Health Histories and Medical Electronic Health Records.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Many dentists utilize health history forms completed by patients' parents/guardians to obtain medical histories. It is unknown if parent-derived health histories are consistent with histories completed by health care providers. The purpose of this study was to compare patient medical electronic health records (EHRs) with parent-/guardian-derived dental health histories in order to identify, quantify, and compare discrepancies of patient medical conditions, medications, and allergies. Methods: Two-hundred randomly selected patient dental charts and corresponding EHRs were reviewed retrospectively from a preexisting patient pool. The number of conditions, medications, and allergies in the dental chart and on the patient's accompanying EHRs were quantified and recorded. Results: Discrepancies between the two records were present for 97.5 percent of patient charts. All charts without discrepancies were for those patients who did not have any past medical history, take any medications, or have any allergies. Chart discrepancies often included conditions involving the head, cardiac, and respiratory systems. Conclusion: It is important for dentists not to rely solely on parent-derived information or medical records. At the initial encounter, dentists should request a history from the patient's physician and review it with the parents for accuracy. Updates should be obtained at each appointment to obtain an accurate medical history. (Pediatr Dent 2019;41(5)371-5).