| Summary: | Interprofessional collaboration has been recognized as valuable for enhancing the effectiveness of health care systems. It holds significant potential as an innovative strategy for addressing challenges within the health care model and workforce, ultimately contributing to the strengthening of the health system and the improvement of outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of a prenatal care protocol on interprofessional collaboration and oral health-related quality of life. The patients were predominantly young and had either incomplete or complete high school education, with no significant differences observed between the test and control groups. Pregnant women in the intervention group demonstrated a greater perception of interprofessional collaboration compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, self-rated oral health and oral health-related quality of life showed improvement post-intervention. The intervention fostered team empowerment, resulting in a reorientation of the work process with increased involvement and collaborative professional interaction, supported by the performance of dental hygienists. The service organization protocol, despite initially causing tensions, ultimately resulted in positive effects on interprofessional collaboration and oral health-related quality of life. These findings underscore the importance of dental hygienists in integrating activities between oral health and multidisciplinary teams, thereby enhancing oral health-related quality of life, and promoting interprofessional collaboration.
|