Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Prof Kevin OBrien
ORCID ID
Contact details
Orthodontic Department
University Dental Hospital of Manchester
Higher Cambridge Street
Manchester
M15 6FH
United Kingdom
+44 (0)161 275 6793
kevin.obrien@man.ac.uk
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
PSI02-20
Study information
Scientific title
Acronym
Study hypothesis
This study was designed to discover whether it is possible to develop guidelines which are acceptable General Dental Practitioners (GDPs), for the referral of patients for orthodontic treatment and whether the guidelines have an effect on the number of appropriate referrals made. The guidelines were drawn up by a panel of clinicians providing secondary care, and GDPs from the Local Dental Committees using evidence derived from a literature search.
Ethics approval
Not provided at time of registration
Study design
Randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
Condition
Oral health/stomatognathic diseases
Intervention
General dental practices in Manchester and Stockport were allocated to one of two groups. One group received guidelines for the referral of patients to secondary orthodontic care, and the other did not receive any guidelines. Dissemination of the guidelines was intended to be carried out at a series of meetings with GDPs but acceptance for these was very low. Dissemination was carried out by post with follow up correspondence.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
The main outcome measure was whether the referral was appropriate according to the guidelines that had been developed. This information came from a form completed by the clinician at the initial visit by the referred patient, and gave detailed information on the reason for the referral being appropriate or inappropriate. Questionnaires were also given to all GPs receiving the guidelines to ascertain their opinions about the content, usefulness etc of the guidelines.
Secondary outcome measures
Not provided at time of registration
Overall trial start date
01/04/1995
Overall trial end date
31/03/1998
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
All referrals by GDPs in the two groups were included in the study. Information on these was collected from five hospitals in Manchester and Stockport, and from three specialist orthodontic practitioners and one community orthodontist.
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Other
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
Not provided at time of registration
Participant exclusion criteria
Does not match inclusion criteria
Recruitment start date
01/04/1995
Recruitment end date
31/03/1998
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Orthodontic Department
Manchester
M15 6FH
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
Organisation
Record Provided by the NHS R&D 'Time-Limited' National Programme Register - Department of Health (UK)
Sponsor details
The Department of Health
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NL
United Kingdom
Sponsor type
Government
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
NHS Primary and Secondary Care Interface National Research and Development Programme (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
2000 results in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10816930
Publication citations
-
Results
O'Brien K, Wright J, Conboy F, Bagley L, Lewis D, Read M, Thompson R, Bogues W, Lentin S, Parr G, Aron B, The effect of orthodontic referral guidelines: a randomised controlled trial., Br Dent J, 2000, 188, 7, 392-397.