An audit of the quality and content of periodontal referrals and the effect of implementing referral criteria.
OBJECTIVE
This audit aimed to assess the effect of implementing referral criteria on the quality and content of referral letters sent by general dental practitioners (GDPs) to the periodontal department of a teaching hospital.


METHODS
Retrospective data were collected from a total of 450 referrals made in: (i) 1997, prior to any changes; (ii) 2000/2001, after referral guidelines were implemented; and (iii) 2004/2005, after referral criteria were redefined and circulated via Primary Care Trusts. A standardised data-collection form was used to record the information that was provided in the referral letters. This information was also compared to the findings at initial hospital consultations.


RESULTS
There was a small improvement in the administrative details provided in the referral communications in 2000/2001 and 2004/2005. Medical history was often incomplete and was mentioned in 31-34% of referral letters. Use of the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE) score increased from 17% (1997) to 57% (2004/2005). The information on clinical details otherwise increased in 2000/2001 with a tendency to decrease in 2004/2005. There was little agreement between the clinical details in the referral communications and the findings at consultation in the periodontal department.


CONCLUSIONS
Following implementation of referral criteria, there was an increase in the clinical details provided in referral letters. However, the validity of the information provided by the GDPs was often questionable. The number of referrals that provided medical history details remained unchanged. Use of a pro forma was not associated with an improvement in the quality of referrals in this audit.
Kourkouta
Styliani
S
Restorative Dentistry, Eastman Dental Hospital & Institute, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK. styliani.kourkouta@uclh.org
Darbar
Ulpee R
UR
D003142:Communication; D015709:Correspondence as Topic; D019230:Dental Audit; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital; D017823:Furcation Defects / Q000145:classification; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010517:Periodontics; D010808:Physical Examination; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000145:classification