TY - JOUR

T1 - Development of a core outcome set for oral health services research involving dependent older adults (DECADE): a study protocol

AU - Watson, Sinead

AU - McCullan, Julie

AU - Brocklehurst, Paul

AU - Tsakos, George

AU - Watt, Richard

AU - Wassall, Rebecca

AU - Sherriff, Andrea

AU - Ramsay, Sheena

AU - Karki, Anup

AU - Tada, Sayaka

AU - Lappin, Caroline

AU - Donaldson, Michael

AU - McKenna, Gerry

PY - 2020/7/1

Y1 - 2020/7/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Oral healthcare service provision for dependent older adults is often poor. For dental services to provide more responsive and equitable care, evidence-based approaches are needed. To facilitate future research, the development and application of a core outcome set would be beneficial. The aim of this study is to develop a core outcome set for oral health services research involving dependent older adults.METHODS: A multi-step process involving consensus methods and including key stakeholders will be undertaken. This will involve identifying potentially relevant outcomes through a systematic review of previous studies examining the effectiveness of strategies to prevent oral disease in dependent older adults, combined with semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Stakeholders will include dependent older adults, family members, carers, care-home managers, health professionals, researchers, dental commissioners and policymakers. To condense and prioritise the long list of outcomes generated by the systematic review and semi-structured interviews, a Delphi survey consisting of several rounds with key stakeholders, as mentioned above, will be undertaken. The 9-point Likert scale proposed by the GRADE Working Group will facilitate this consensus process. Following the Delphi survey, a face-to-face consensus meeting with key stakeholders will be conducted where the stakeholders will anonymously vote and decide on what outcomes should be included in the finalised core outcome set.DISCUSSION: Developing a core set of outcomes that are clinically and patient-centred will help improve the design, conduct and reporting of oral health services research involving dependent older adults, and ultimately strengthen the evidence base for high-quality oral health care for dependent older adults.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with the COMET initiative on 9 January 2018 http://www.cometinitiative.org/studies/details/1081?result=true .

AB - BACKGROUND: Oral healthcare service provision for dependent older adults is often poor. For dental services to provide more responsive and equitable care, evidence-based approaches are needed. To facilitate future research, the development and application of a core outcome set would be beneficial. The aim of this study is to develop a core outcome set for oral health services research involving dependent older adults.METHODS: A multi-step process involving consensus methods and including key stakeholders will be undertaken. This will involve identifying potentially relevant outcomes through a systematic review of previous studies examining the effectiveness of strategies to prevent oral disease in dependent older adults, combined with semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Stakeholders will include dependent older adults, family members, carers, care-home managers, health professionals, researchers, dental commissioners and policymakers. To condense and prioritise the long list of outcomes generated by the systematic review and semi-structured interviews, a Delphi survey consisting of several rounds with key stakeholders, as mentioned above, will be undertaken. The 9-point Likert scale proposed by the GRADE Working Group will facilitate this consensus process. Following the Delphi survey, a face-to-face consensus meeting with key stakeholders will be conducted where the stakeholders will anonymously vote and decide on what outcomes should be included in the finalised core outcome set.DISCUSSION: Developing a core set of outcomes that are clinically and patient-centred will help improve the design, conduct and reporting of oral health services research involving dependent older adults, and ultimately strengthen the evidence base for high-quality oral health care for dependent older adults.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with the COMET initiative on 9 January 2018 http://www.cometinitiative.org/studies/details/1081?result=true .

KW - Aged

KW - Frail elderly

KW - Oral health

KW - Consensus

KW - Delphi technique

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04531-8

DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-04531-8

M3 - Article

C2 - 32611443

VL - 21

SP - 599

JO - Trials

JF - Trials

SN - 1745-6215

IS - 1

M1 - 599

ER -