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Clinical record keeping by general dental practitioners piloting the Denplan 'Excel' accreditation programme
R S Ireland1, R V Harris, R Pealing
1The University of Liverpool, Liverpool University School of Dentistry. Ireland@liverpool.ac.uk
British Dental Journal
|September 29, 2001
Summary
The Denplan Excel program significantly improved dental record-keeping quality. Key improvements included better caries recording, periodontal examinations, and updated medical histories in UK dental practices.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Quality Improvement in Healthcare
- Clinical Informatics
Background:
- Denplan is a UK-based private capitation dental care system.
- Denplan Excel is a voluntary accreditation program for dental practices.
- The program emphasizes quality processes, including clinical record-keeping standards.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess changes in clinical record-keeping at patient recall appointments.
- To evaluate the impact of the Denplan Excel program on dental record quality.
Main Methods:
- Cluster sampling of 50 dentists in the Denplan Excel pilot program across the UK.
- Comparison of 20 patient records per dentist, pre- and post-pilot implementation.
- Analysis of specific record-keeping items, including caries, periodontal status, and medical history.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements observed in dental record-keeping post-Denplan Excel implementation (p<0.01).
- Caries recording on a grid increased from 7% to 46%.
- Basic periodontal examination recording rose from 48% to 85%.
- Updating of medical histories improved from 51% to 65%.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary participation in structured record-keeping systems can drive significant improvements in dental practice quality.
- The Denplan Excel program demonstrates effectiveness in enhancing clinical documentation standards.