British dental journal
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British dental journal · Dec 2011
Multicenter StudyIntroducing care pathway commissioning to primary dental care: measuring performance.
Care pathways have been used in a variety of ways: firstly to support quality improvement through standardising clinical processes, but also for secondary purposes, by purchasers of healthcare, to monitor activity and health outcomes and to commission services. This paper focuses on reporting a secondary use of care pathways: to commission and monitor performance of primary dental care services. ⋯ Data from surgery-based clinical databases and interviews from commissioners and providers are reported. The use of both process and outcome key performance indicators in this context is discussed, as well as issues which arise such as attributability of outcome measures and strategic approaches to improving quality of care.
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British dental journal · Dec 2011
Patients' satisfaction after a comprehensive assessment for complex chronic facial pain at a specialised unit: results from a prospective audit.
The aim of this audit was to investigate complex chronic facial pain patients' satisfaction after an initial, comprehensive, 45-60 minute consultation visit. ⋯ A consultation with adequate time for history taking, addressing patients' goals and thorough explanation accompanied by written information, results in high satisfaction among patients with chronic facial pain.