Evaluation of a clinical outcomes assessment tool in a U.S. dental school

Quality assurance (QA) programs in dental schools have a component of their program devoted to treatment outcomes. To this end, our institution has implemented TOUCH (Treatment Outcomes Unacceptable for Clinical Health) seminars and Unusual Occurrence Reports (UORs). The seminars allow a faculty member to present a case to faculty and students with feedback from the audience on how the case was managed. The UORs track clinical incidents outside the range of normal. Participation in both of these QA measures has been less than expected. The goal of the current study was to discover the reasons for participation and lack of participation. A twelve-item survey was completed by seventy-one clinical faculty members and analyzed for trends. Faculty report only 28.3 percent of the unacceptable outcome cases they know about. The two most common reasons given for reporting an unusual occurrence were that it would help the institution reduce similar incidents and it would provide an opportunity to share learning experiences. The most common reason given for not reporting an unusual occurrence was not remembering to do so. Faculty members were most willing to present a TOUCH seminar if guaranteed that no negative repercussions would result. Suggestions for increasing participation in both programs include emphasizing their value, modifying the seminar format, providing more reminders, and reassuring against repercussions.