101 - Analysis of Nutritional Counseling Received by Mutual Patients of Pediatric Medicine and Pediatric Dentistry: A Quality Improvement Study

Abstract: Purpose
To determine whether implementing structured 5-2-1-0 nutritional and physical activity counseling by pediatric dental residents increases the proportion of mutual pediatric medicine–dental patients receiving documented counseling at Holyoke Health Center.



Methods
This quality improvement initiative uses a pre–post design with data collected through the HIPAA-compliant Azara Healthcare platform for two periods: January 6, 2024–January 6, 2025 (pre-intervention) and January 6, 2025–January 6, 2026 (post-intervention). Pediatric dental residents were trained to deliver 5-2-1-0 counseling and document encounters in EPIC Wisdom using ICD-10 code Z71.3 and appropriate MNT codes. Counseling rates for all patients ages 3–17 will be monitored and analyzed using QI tools, including histograms, Pareto analysis, and baseline Cause & Effect and Driver diagrams.



Results
Post-intervention data will compare changes in documentation frequency to determine whether dental-provider participation increases the proportion of pediatric patients receiving nutritional and physical activity counseling. Trends in interdisciplinary collaboration, resident adherence to counseling protocols, and changes in coding completeness will also be evaluated.



Conclusions

Integrating structured nutritional and physical activity counseling into pediatric dental visits may significantly increase the number of children receiving this preventive education. Positive outcomes would underscore the value of medical–dental collaboration in improving health literacy, supporting healthy behavior change, and contributing to long-term reductions in unhealthy BMI among pediatric patients.

Identify Supporting Agency and Grant Number: Not Applicable