title: Direct access to DCPs: what are the potential risks and benefits?
abstract: The decision by the General Dental Council (GDC) in March 2013 to remove the requirement for a patient to first see a dentist before any treatment by a dental care professional, has been seen by some as controversial. The GDC has stated patient safety is the utmost priority and a literature review on direct access in dental and other healthcare fields was commissioned by the GDC in April 2012. The review considered whether any expansion of direct access would involve increased risk to patients, either by treatment or through failure to recognise and refer problems outside DCPs' clinical remit. This paper is an edited version of the results of that literature review.
authors.affiliation: 1] Dental Health Services Research Unit, University of Dundee [2] Edinburgh Dental Institute, University of Edinburgh.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tripathee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacGillivray
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D017046:Cost Savings; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018570:Risk Assessment