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Variation in dentists' clinical decisions

J D Bader1, D A Shugars

  • 1Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7590, USA.

Journal of Public Health Dentistry
|January 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Dentists show significant variation in clinical treatment decisions, even when patient factors are controlled. This variability across dental practices and procedures highlights potential impacts on the appropriateness of care.

Area of Science:

  • Dental Practice Management
  • Clinical Decision-Making
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Variation in clinical treatment decisions among dentists is a recognized phenomenon in healthcare.
  • Understanding this variation is crucial for assessing the quality and appropriateness of dental care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct the first comprehensive review of recent literature on variation in dentists' clinical treatment decisions.
  • To examine the methods used to assess this variation at different levels of aggregation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review examining studies on dentists' clinical decision variation.
  • Analysis of variation at three levels: dental practice, patient, and individual tooth.
  • Assessment of methods used for quantifying decision variation.

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Main Results:

  • Limited research exists on the extent of variation in dentists' decisions, especially at the practice level.
  • Methods for assessing variation differ across studies, hindering quantification.
  • Substantial variation observed in procedure rates, recommended treatments, and diagnoses.

Conclusions:

  • Variation in dentists' clinical decisions is widespread, even after accounting for patient differences.
  • The consequences of this variation are not yet fully understood.
  • Observed variation in fundamental decisions like caries diagnosis necessitates further investigation into care appropriateness.