Improving the Oral Healthcare Experience for Hong Kong and Macao Residents: A Practical Exploration of Specialized Nurse‐Led Oral Care Clinics

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of specialized oral nursing clinics for residents of Hong Kong and Macau. By optimizing the outpatient process to enhance treatment efficiency and improve the healthcare experience of Hong Kong and Macau patients in mainland China, this research provides evidence-based insights to address the challenges of low cross-regional treatment efficiency and complex procedures. METHODS: A specialized oral nursing clinic was established by a hospital group, implementing an innovative "one center, multiple branches" referral model. This model integrates the Oral Medicine Center with community health clinics to optimize the allocation of healthcare resources. The outpatient nurses are all specialized oral nurses with prescriptive authority. A cluster sampling method was used to compare data from January to March 2023 (before implementation) and January to March 2024 (after implementation). The evaluation indicators included patient volume, waiting time for consultations, expected treatment completion rate, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: After implementation, the proportion of patients from Hong Kong and Macau increased from 2.0% to 6.8% (p < 0.01). The average waiting time for consultations decreased from 40.16 ± 17.39 min to 33.19 ± 15.61 min (p < 0.01). The expected treatment completion rate increased from 83.6% to 90.1% (p < 0.01), and patient satisfaction improved from 90.9% to 96.9% (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The specialized oral nursing clinic, combined with the "one center, multiple branches" referral model, effectively simplifies the consultation process, improves service efficiency, and enhances patient satisfaction. This approach is innovative, scientifically sound, and replicable, providing practical evidence for the joint development and sharing of medical resources in the Greater Bay Area. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.