ROLE OF LIBRARIANS AND INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS IN IDENTIFYING dPROS IN THE EVIDENCE

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Information Science
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• Dental patient-reported outcomes (PROs) offer valuable insights into patient needs but are underutilized due to inconsistent indexing and reporting.
• Lack of standardized terminology and practices hinders the discovery and application of PROs and their associated measures in dental research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the benefits of collaboration between clinicians/researchers and librarians/information professionals.
• To enhance the utilization of dental patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical practice and research.
• To address challenges in accessing and standardizing PROs literature.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on PROs in dentistry and information retrieval strategies.
• Analysis of the role of librarians in evidence-based practice and research support.
• Discussion of potential collaborative models between healthcare professionals and information specialists.

Main Results:

• Librarians possess expertise in literature navigation, management, and standardization, crucial for PROs.
• Collaboration can improve research methodology design, reporting, and accessibility of PROs literature.
• Partnerships can bridge the gap between PRO data and its application in patient care.

Conclusions:

• Partnering with librarians and information professionals is essential for overcoming barriers to dental PROs utilization.
• This collaboration can significantly advance evidence-based dentistry and improve patient outcomes.
• Standardization efforts, supported by information experts, are key to maximizing the impact of dental PROs.