Introducing care pathway commissioning to primary dental care: measuring performance

Clinical leadership and prevention in practice: is a needs led preventive approach to the delivery of care to improve quality, outcomes and value in primary dental care practice a realistic concept?

“…In summary, this innovative needs- led clinical care pathway model provided a structured approach to the re-orientation of dental services towards prevention in 3 NHS dental practices. The results of this case study have been previously published [ 13 ]. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), established during the outset, led to discusssion between the practictioners and commissioners regarding the utility and value of such indicators to capture clinical outcomes.…”

“…This was based on a structured and consistent assessment of clinical disease and risk via an Oral Health Needs Assessemnt (OHNA) and the monitoring of adherence to and the impact of an evidenced informed care pathway. The methodology and background for this work has been previously reported in the literature [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Improving oral healthcare: towards measurement?

“…For example, in the UK, where there is a pay for performance scheme for general practice, emphasis has been put on monitoring the processes of healthcare; this has led to distortion of clinical priorities with a focus too heavy on the means and not on the results of care. 13,14 A balance is required in measurement -the data should describe care in ways that will benefit both professional and patient. In medicine, Berwick recommends a reduction in intensive mandatory measurements, ceasing complex individual (financial) incentives, shifting the strategy to quality rather than revenue, encouraging team work and skill mix towards a collective approach, using improvement science to spread better practice, protecting civility when discussing practice data, hearing the voice of patients routinely and rejecting greed.…”

NHS Health Checks in a primary care dental setting – an opportunity for the profession to maximise uptake for public health partners?

“…Primary care practitioners have previously shown a willingness to engage and inform progress. [13][14][15] This is an example of highly motivated primary care practitioners engaging in an agenda to increase the profile, value and skills of the dental workforce to support partners in other organisations.…”