The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry has integrated Epic Wisdom, a leading electronic health record (EHR) system, into its UT Dentistry clinics, advancing patient care by combining dental and medical health records.
In a recent Health Innovations’ article, Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health, stressed the importance of merging health records to provide more holistic, effective care.
“Somewhere along the way, the head was somehow dissociated from the rest of the body,” Tabak said. “What we really want to do here is put the head back on the rest of the body, both figuratively and of course metaphorically.”
The move to Epic Wisdom replaces the previous dental-focused system, axiUm, and aligns with these national efforts to integrate medical and dental care.
“With Epic Wisdom, our students, residents and faculty are better equipped to address the complex health care needs of patients,” said Peter M. Loomer, DDS, PhD, MBA, dean of the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry. “This transition reflects the growing recognition of the impact of oral health on overall health and the significant role dentists and dental hygienists play in patient care and well-being.”
Benefits for patients and providers
Epic Wisdom promises to better streamline care by offering dental providers access to patients’ medical histories, enabling more informed treatment decisions and coordinated care.
Patients are now able to view all their medical and dental records, appointments and test results in one place through Epic’s MyChart platform, improving their overall health care experience.
The system’s user-friendly design and advanced capabilities support digital workflows in dental clinics, enhancing efficiency and patient outcomes.
Future-ready dentistry
The transition to Epic Wisdom culminated on Dec. 10 after months of preparation, including transferring five years of patient records and radiology data, customizing the system and conducting training workshops for faculty, staff, residents and students.
“The workgroups from clinical, administrative and service departments worked side by side with the Epic Wisdom implementation team” said Gary F. Guest, DDS, the school’s chief information officer. “We had one of Epic’s most extensive transfers of dental data from the legacy system to Epic, which facilitated the immediate use of the system for patients on the first day of deployment.”
The integration of Epic Wisdom aims to strengthen patient care and prepare dental students for real-world practice in an increasingly connected health care environment. Faculty and staff continue refining workflows and training processes to maximize the system’s benefits.
This latest milestone reinforces the School of Dentistry’s commitment to deliver patient-centered, high-quality care while supporting its mission of education, research and community outreach.