Patient and dentist perspectives on collecting patient reported outcomes after painful dental procedures in the National Dental PBRN

Abstract

BackgroundDental Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) relate to a dental patient’s subjective experience of their oral health. How practitioners and patients value PROs influences their successful use in practice.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 practitioners and 32 patients who provided feedback on using a mobile health (mHealth) platform to collect the pain experience after dental procedures. A themes analysis was conducted to identify implementation barriers and facilitators.ResultsFive themes were uncovered: (1) Sense of Better Care. (2) Tailored Follow-up based on the dental procedure and patient’s pain experience. (3) Effective Messaging and Alerts. (4) Usable Digital Platform. (5) Routine mHealth Integration.ConclusionFrequent automated and preferably tailored follow-up messages using an mHealth platform provided a positive care experience for patients, while providers felt it saved them time and effort. Patients thought that the mHealth questionnaires were well-developed and of appropriate length. The mHealth platform itself was perceived as user-friendly by users, and most would like to continue using it.Practical implicationsPatients are prepared to use mobile phones to report their pain experience after dental procedures. Practitioners will be able to close the post-operative communication gap with their patients, with little interruption of their workflow.