Unconscious racial bias may affect dentists’ clinical decision on tooth restorability
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN25639427 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN25639427 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | BCAG2017 |
- Submission date
- 04/06/2018
- Registration date
- 20/06/2018
- Last edited
- 25/09/2020
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Bias is an inclination for or against a person or a group, as it allows for one's personal opinions to influence judgement. It is defined in the Oxford dictionary as an ‘inclination or prejudice, for or against one person or group, especially in a way considered unfair.’ There are many forms of bias, which are generally one sided and have the ability to affect everyday social interactions. The aims of this study are to determine whether explicit and implicit racial bias predicts the recommendation of root canal therapy or extraction for White and Black patients suffering from irreversible pulpitis (inflammation of dental pulp tissue), and to determine whether different treatment decisions are made for Black vs White patients and to determine whether such differences (if any) are related to the presence of explicit or implicit racial bias.
Who can participate?
Qualified dentists
What does the study involve?
Participating dentists are given a clinical scenario in combination with a patient’s relevant clinical photographs and radiographs depicting either a Black or White patient presenting with a decayed tooth and the associated symptoms of irreversible pulpitis. Explicit bias is measured through a questionnaire, which evaluates the recommended course of treatment, the strength of the recommendation and their perception of the patient’s dental cooperativeness. Implicit bias is evaluated through brief implicit association tests.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The possible benefits are to create early awareness and active prevention. Although it might not be likely to completely eliminate the effects impact biases can have upon decision making, a reduction in the occurrence is a worthy result. Ultimately by creating awareness, bias can be recognised and reduced. The risks of participation are that during the tests participants may feel uncomfortable and may not want to continue further.
Where is the study run from?
The University of Cagliari (Italy)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2017 to November 2017
Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded
Who is the main contact?
Dr Neha Patel
Contact information
Public
Flat 1, Holmefield Court
Belsize Grove
London
nw3 4tt
United Kingdom
Study information
| Study design | Single-center cross sectional survey |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Observational |
| Secondary study design | Cross sectional study |
| Study setting(s) | Hospital |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet |
| Scientific title | Unconscious racial bias may affect dentists’ clinical decision on tooth restorability |
| Study objectives | The race of a patient does not affect dental clinicians recommendation for root canal treatment. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Di Cagliari, 12/12/2017, ref: PG/2017/7126 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Implicit and explicit bias and its influence on clinical treatment planning decisions |
| Intervention | Dentists were given a clinical scenario in combination with a patient’s relevant clinical photographs and radiographs depicting either a Black or White patient presenting with a decayed tooth and associated symptoms of irreversible pulpitis. Explicit bias was measured through a questionnaire, which evaluated participants’ course of treatment, strength of recommendation and their perception of patient’s dental cooperativeness. Implicit bias was evaluated through brief implicit association tests. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Recommendation for root canal treatment (RCT) is measured using a dichotomous scale (yes or no) |
| Secondary outcome measures | Recommendation for extraction is measured using a dichotomous scale (yes or no) |
| Overall study start date | 01/01/2017 |
| Completion date | 01/11/2017 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Health professional |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 60 |
| Total final enrolment | 57 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Qualified dentist |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Dental student or nurse 2. Any health professional without a BDS |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/10/2017 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/11/2017 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Italy
Study participating centre
Italy
Sponsor information
University/education
Great Maze Pond
London
SE1 9RT
England
United Kingdom
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/0220mzb33 |
|---|
Funders
Funder type
Other
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/11/2018 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | The trialists intend to publish the results of the study in a high-impact peer reviewed journal, and intend on publishing around 6 months to 1 year after the overall trial end date. |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from Dr Neha Patel. Type of data - questionnaire responses and IAT results (raw, tabulated), accessed over email (.doc). Consent was provided by each individual participant, and all data was anonymised |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic results | 13/11/2018 | 13/11/2018 | No | No | |
| Results article | results | 01/01/2019 | 25/09/2020 | Yes | No |
Additional files
- ISRCTN25639427_BasicResults_13Nov18.pdf
- Uploaded 13/11/2018
Editorial Notes
25/09/2020: The following changes have been made:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The final enrolment number has been added from the reference.
13/11/2018: The basic results of this trial have been uploaded as an additional file.
