Executive Summary

The health care system in the United States (US) is currently transitioning toward value‐based care (VBC), an approach that links payment to quality and value. Despite this trend, significant gaps and barriers remain that challenge widespread engagement in value‐based oral healthcare (VBOHC). Notably, dental provider and payer engagement is necessary for successful implementation of VBOHC. Insight into dentist and payer perceptions and experiences related to VBOHC is necessary to understand the current state of the transition and identify barriers and opportunities to increase VBOHC participation.

To that end, Discern Health collaborated with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Health (now Haleon) and The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) to develop a survey and qualitative interview guide to investigate VBOHC perceptions, experiences, and challenges. This report discusses the combined results of a survey and in‐depth interviews as well as the implications for the VBOHC landscape. Findings show that while there are barriers to overcome, VBOHC is becoming more prevalent and expected to be a standard of practice. Key insights uncovered during this project include:

 Need for greater dissemination of educational information on VBOHC evidence‐based models and best practices from trusted sources of authority  Consistent incentives that reward dental providers are required for widespread VBOHC engagement  Limited use of diagnostic coding and exchange of electronic data with external providers hinders collaboration with medical care delivery and quality measure reporting capabilities  Integrated medical and dental care delivery helps to improve access to oral health care, reduce disparities, and improve patient outcomes

Moving forward, collaboration among all dental health stakeholders and VBOHC education and exposure should be prioritized to advance VBOHC in the US.