Organizational Change in Dental Care

The proposed research will test the ability of the NIATx Organizational Change Model to improve patient no-show rates as compared to typical training approaches used in dental offices. The purpose of the pilot study is to improve no-show rates and, in the process, test an evidence-based organizational change model that can increase use of evidence-based practices in dental care.

NIATx is not an acronym, it is a proper noun.

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Key information

Conditions

Patient No Show Behavior Health Behavior No-Show Patients Patient Acceptance of Health Care Patient Compliance Treatment Adherence and Compliance

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

More Smiles Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States

About this study

For designing the pilot study, it is assumed that the no-show rates in dental clinics will have similar characteristics and response patterns to previous studies.

The preliminary summary data provided by the participating dental clinics, the current average no-show rate is approximately 20%, which would reduce to 10% using the upper limit of the confidence interval from the preliminary data. Based on a simulation study incorporating the above assumptions, with 5 sites each contributing 160 appointments before and after the intervention, the study will have 84% power to detect the hypothesized effect (OR=0.44) at a two-sided 5% significance level. The probability of observing a decrease in no-show rates in at least 4 out of 5 of the clinics is approximately 90%. We expect over 80 appointments per month in each clinic, so the target number of appointments would be expected to be available in 2-3 months.

For the NIATx Fidelity Scale, if an organization has an average score of 2 or higher on the NIATx Fidelity Scale for 8 of the 13 measures that will be considered significant. In a previous study using a similar process, 73% of the organizations that achieved gains of +10%, had 8 measures or more with an average score of 2 or greater, compared to 40% of those who had gains at <10%.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

In order to be eligible to participate in this study, staff must be:

18 or older
A paid staff member at a dental clinic participating in the study
Willing to participate in the interviews and share their ideas and experiences
Involved in an organizational improvement project at a participating clinic
Be able and willing to provide verbal consent

Exclusion criteria

An individual who does not regularly interact with patients in a dental clinic.

Treatment and study plan

NIATx model

Behavioral

The NIATx model engages organizations through a multi-clinic learning collaborative and coaching. NIATx teaches organizations how to implement change by using their own organization as the teaching mechanism. Key components of the model include:

educating executives on how to promote effective process change techniques
training staff teams in the theory and practice of organizational change techniques
training staff to develop and implement a process improvement intervention
implementing a sustainability plan to institutionalize change and avoid reverting to previous methods

Primary outcomes

Analyze clinic data for trends and patterns in patient no-show behaviour.

Time frame: 7 months

Data from clinic patient records will be gathered and analyzed to determine the percent of cancelled appointments in a given time period, to detect patterns over time and determine if no-shows are more prevalent with certain populations or procedures.
Staff surveys to test clinic adherence to the components of the NIATx model.

Time frame: 7 months

Paper surveys will be used to collect data from clinic staff. Surveys will measure how the clinic conducts organizational change, the degree to which the clinics are using elements of the NIATx model and which proven no-show practices clinics have adopted.
Patient qualitative interviews to assess the patient experience in missing an appointment.

Time frame: 2 months

Interviews will be open questions to understand the process from the users point of view. This information will help the study team understand the root causes of patient behaviour and propose model improvements that address these causes.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Other

Collaborators

Marquette University
Medical College of Wisconsin
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Registry information

Official study title

Test of an Organizational Change Model in Dental Care Settings

Important dates

Study start: 2018
Primary completion: 2019
Study completion: 2019
First posted: Dec 8, 2017
Registry last updated: Aug 7, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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