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GDP referrals for orthodontic treatment
B S Thind1, S Hewage, C J Larmour
1Department of Orthodontics, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Aberdeen.
Health Bulletin
|April 1, 2003
Summary
Referral letters from general dental practitioners (GDPs) often lack crucial orthodontic information, impacting patient understanding and treatment planning. Improving these referrals is essential for effective orthodontic care.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Orthodontics
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- Referral letters are critical for communication between general dental practitioners (GDPs) and specialist orthodontic departments.
- Accurate and complete information in referral letters ensures appropriate patient assessment and treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the quality and accuracy of information provided in orthodontic referral letters by GDPs.
- To identify deficiencies in referral letters compared to established guidelines.
Main Methods:
- A prospective audit of 103 new orthodontic referrals to a hospital department.
- Comparison of information in referral letters against British Orthodontic Society guidelines.
- Assessment of patient understanding regarding their referral and proposed treatment.
Main Results:
- Only 24% of patients understood their referral reason.
- 41% of letters lacked essential malocclusion details.
- Significant numbers of patients had poor oral hygiene (33%) or untreated caries (4%).
- No letters included the patient's general medical practitioner details.
Conclusions:
- The audit revealed significant issues with GDP orthodontic referral letters.
- There is a need to educate GDPs on required referral information.
- Adherence to British Orthodontic Society guidelines for referrals is recommended.
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