Clinical audit training improves undergraduates' performance in root canal therapy

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Quality Improvement in Healthcare
• Endodontics

Background:

• Clinical audit is a quality improvement process.
• Feedback mechanisms are crucial for learning.
• Dental undergraduates require effective training in root canal therapy (RCT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a clinical audit-feedback cycle.
• To improve technical quality of root canal therapy (RCT).
• To enhance record-keeping compliance among dental undergraduates.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of clinical audit learning in Year 3 of a 5-year dental curriculum.
• Retrospective audits of RCT patient records by student groups.
• Calibration of students with an endodontist (κ ≥ 0.8) for consistent assessment.

Main Results:

• Record-keeping compliance increased from 44.1% (2012) to 94.6% (2015) (P=.001).
• Technical quality of root canal fillings meeting all criteria rose from 44.7% (2012) to 76.8% (2015) (P=.001).
• Significant improvements were noted in specific RCT technical aspects like extension and absence of mishap.

Conclusions:

• The clinical audit-feedback cycle is an effective educational strategy.
• This method enhances dental students' technical skills in RCT.
• Improved compliance with record-keeping guidelines was achieved.