Abstract

Background

Oral healthcare service provision for dependent older adults is often poor. For dental services to provide more responsive and equitable care, evidence-based approaches are needed. To facilitate future research, the development and application of a core outcome set would be beneficial. The aim of this study is to develop a core outcome set for oral health services research involving dependent older adults.

Methods

A multi-step process involving consensus methods and including key stakeholders will be undertaken. This will involve identifying potentially relevant outcomes through a systematic review of previous studies examining the effectiveness of strategies to prevent oral disease in dependent older adults, combined with semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Stakeholders will include dependent older adults, family members, carers, care-home managers, health professionals, researchers, dental commissioners and policymakers. To condense and prioritise the long list of outcomes generated by the systematic review and semi-structured interviews, a Delphi survey consisting of several rounds with key stakeholders, as mentioned above, will be undertaken. The 9-point Likert scale proposed by the GRADE Working Group will facilitate this consensus process. Following the Delphi survey, a face-to-face consensus meeting with key stakeholders will be conducted where the stakeholders will anonymously vote and decide on what outcomes should be included in the finalised core outcome set.

Discussion

Developing a core set of outcomes that are clinically and patient-centred will help improve the design, conduct and reporting of oral health services research involving dependent older adults, and ultimately strengthen the evidence base for high-quality oral health care for dependent older adults.

Trial registration

The study was registered with the COMET initiative on 9 January 2018 http://www.cometinitiative.org/studies/details/1081?result=true.

Details

Title
Development of a core outcome set for oral health services research involving dependent older adults (DECADE): a study protocol
Author
Watson, Sinead 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; McMullan, Julie 1 ; Brocklehurst, Paul 2 ; Tsakos, Georgios 3 ; Watt, Richard G. 3 ; Wassall, Rebecca R. 4 ; Sherriff, Andrea 5 ; Ramsay, Sheena E. 6 ; Karki, Anup J. 7 ; Tada, Sayaka 8 ; Lappin, Caroline 9 ; Donaldson, Michael 10 ; McKenna, Gerald 1 

1  Queen’s University Belfast, Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Belfast, UK (GRID:grid.4777.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 0374 7521) 
2  Bangor University, NWORTH Clinical Trials Unit, Bangor, UK (GRID:grid.7362.0) (ISNI:0000000118820937) 
3  University College London, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, London, UK (GRID:grid.83440.3b) (ISNI:0000000121901201) 
4  Newcastle University, School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle, UK (GRID:grid.1006.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 0462 7212) 
5  University of Glasgow, Glasgow Dental School, Glasgow, UK (GRID:grid.8756.c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2193 314X) 
6  Newcastle University, Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle, UK (GRID:grid.1006.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 0462 7212) 
7  Public Health Wales, Cardiff, UK (GRID:grid.439475.8) (ISNI:0000 0004 6360 002X) 
8  National University of Singapore, Discipline of Endodontics, Operative Dentistry and Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Singapore, Singapore (GRID:grid.4280.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2180 6431) 
9  South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Community Dental Service, Dundonald, UK (GRID:grid.477972.8) 
10  Health and Social Care Board, Belfast, UK (GRID:grid.477972.8) 
Pages
599
Publication year
2020
Publication date
Dec 2020
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
e-ISSN
17456215
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04531-8
ProQuest document ID
2730331033
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.