Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24053760›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2013

Protocol for diagnostic test accuracy study: the efficacy of screening for common dental diseases by dental care professionals.

Richard Macey, Tanya Walsh, Anne-Marie Glenny, Helen Worthington, Martin Tickle, James Ashley, Paul Brocklehurst

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Richard MaceySchool of Dentistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. richard.macey@manchester.ac.uk.
Tanya Walsh
Anne-Marie Glenny
Helen Worthington
Martin Tickle
James Ashley
Paul Brocklehurst
University of Manchester · GBBirkenhead Sixth Form College · GB

Funding

Department of Health IAT09/I-PF/007Department of Health NIHR/CS/010/004PHS HHS NIHR/CS/010/004
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe bulk of service delivery in dentistry is delivered by general dental practitioners, when a large proportion of patients who attend regularly are asymptomatic and do not require treatment. This represents a substantial and unnecessary cost, given that it is possible to delegate a range of tasks to dental care professionals, who are a less expensive resource. Screening for the common dental diseases by dental care professionals has the potential to release general dental practitioner's time and increase the capacity to care for those who don't currently access services. The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic test accuracy of dental care professionals when screening for dental caries and periodontal disease in asymptomatic adults aged eighteen years of age. METHODS/

designTen dental practices across the North-West of England will take part in a diagnostic test accuracy study with 200 consecutive patients in each practice. The dental care professionals will act as the index test and the general dental practitioner will act as the reference test. Consenting asymptomatic patients will enter the study and see either the dental care professionals or general dental practitioner first to remove order effects. Both sets of clinicians will make an assessment of dental caries and periodontal disease and enter their decisions on a record sheet for each participant. The primary outcome measure is the diagnostic test accuracy of the dental care professionals and sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values will be reported. A number of clinical factors will be assessed for confounding. DISCUSSION: The results of this study will determine whether dental care professionals can screen for the two most prevalent oral diseases. This will inform the literature and is apposite given the recent policy change in the United Kingdom towards direct access.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultClinical ProtocolsDental AuxiliariesDental CariesDentistsDiagnostic ErrorsDiagnostic Tests, RoutineEfficiency, OrganizationalEnglandGeneral Practice, DentalHumansMass ScreeningPeriodontal DiseasesPredictive Value of TestsState Dentistry

Identifiers

PMID24053760
PMCPMC3849956
OpenAlexW2126777516

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.