Remote appointments in orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery: Part 2 clinician perceptions

To assess clinician perceptions of and satisfaction with remote appointments in orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS).

Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study.

Orthodontic and OMFS departments in six acute NHS hospital Trusts in the UK.

A total of 36 (a mixture of consultants, specialty doctors, registrars and therapists in both orthodontics and OMFS) completed responses were received.

Once piloted, questionnaires were disseminated across six hospital Trusts to orthodontic and OMFS clinicians. A combination of face-to-face (F2F) and online dissemination was used.

A total of 28 of 36 (77.8%) questionnaires were completed, 75% (n = 21) by orthodontic clinicians and 25% (n = 7) by OMFS clinicians. A 100% (n = 21) response rate was achieved for orthodontic clinicians, compared to a 47% (n = 7/15) response rate for OMFS clinicians. High levels of clinician satisfaction were found for clinician confidentiality; however, concerns remained around patient confidentiality and the inability to conduct a clinical examination. The majority (n = 21, 75%) of clinicians felt that remote appointments had their place in the post-pandemic era, particularly for retainer reviews in orthodontics and biopsy results in OMFS.

When appropriately triaged, the majority of remote appointments do save a face-to-face visit, and there is a place for remote platforms in both specialties going forward. However further research is required in the post-pandemic era to ascertain the full long-term applicability of remote orthodontic and OMFS consultations.