title: A survey of consultants and specialists in restorative dentistry on their use of health-related quality of life questionnaires.
abstract: A national survey of 178 consultants and specialists in restorative dentistry was undertaken to assess their use of health-related quality of life questionnaires in patients having oral rehabilitation following treatment for oral cancer. The response rate was 74% (132). 42% treated patients following oral cancer, 25% forming part of the head and neck multidisciplinary team. Only 19% had ever used questionnaires. Main barriers to their use were lack of experience with evaluation (27%), lack of staff to administer questionnaires (21%) and insufficient time (18%). Few clinicians thought that questionnaires were not clinically relevant or that no suitable instrument existed. In order to facilitate the use of an oral rehabilitation-specific questionnaire in clinical practice there needs to be greater awareness of the potential benefits, training in the process and the means of reducing the administrative burden.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Aintree, Aintree Trust, Liverpool.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pace-Balzan
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Butterworth
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Simon N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D003814:Dentistry, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom