title: Prospective audit of postoperative instructions to patients undergoing root canal treatment in the DDUH and re-audit following introduction of a written patient information sheet.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concerns were expressed that postoperative written instructions following endodontic treatment are not available in the Dublin Dental University Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was collected in three phases: retrospective analysis of clinical notes for evidence of the delivery of postoperative instructions; a randomly distributed questionnaire to patients undergoing root canal treatment prior to the introduction of a written postoperative advice sheet; and, another survey following introduction of the advice sheet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some 56% of patients' charts documented that postoperative advice was given. Analysis of phase two revealed that patients were not consistently informed of any key postoperative messages. In phase 3 analysis, the proposed benchmarks were met in four out of six categories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative advice after root canal treatment in the DDUH is both poorly recorded and inconsistently delivered. A combination of oral postoperative instructions and written postoperative advice provided the most effective delivery of patient information.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moorthy
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Alkadhimi
authors.forename: Leo F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Stassen
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019985:Benchmarking; D003142:Communication; D065187:Controlled Before-After Studies; D019230:Dental Audit; D003792:Dental Records; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003794:Dental Restoration, Temporary; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012390:Root Canal Therapy; D014956:Writing; D055815:Young Adult