Comparing the BDA case mix tool and simplified case mix tool for stratification of public dental patients with disabilities in South Australia.

Introduction All individuals have a right to equal access to oral healthcare. Finding a dental practitioner experienced in managing individuals with special needs is a commonly reported barrier to accessing oral healthcare for people with disabilities.Aim The aim of this study was to determine the applicability of the British Dental Association (BDA) case mix tool (CMT) and the simplified case mix tool (sCMT) in an Australian context.Methods A retrospective analysis of 131 dental records for patients on recall at the Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital compared the specialist-performed complexity stratification with results obtained using the BDA CMT and sCMT by a general dentist.Results The BDA CMT demonstrated substantial agreement with the specialist-performed complexity stratification and had a higher reliability than the sCMT.Conclusions The BDA CMT may be suitable for use in the Australian context by general dental practitioners to identify the level of complexity of an individual with special needs, so as to ensure their oral healthcare needs are matched to a dental practitioner with the required skills and experience.© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the British Dental Association.

Citation

Trudy Y H Lin, Mark E I Gryst, Suzanne M Edwards, Sharon A C Liberali. Comparing the BDA case mix tool and simplified case mix tool for stratification of public dental patients with disabilities in South Australia. British dental journal. 2023 Mar 07

PMID: 36882489

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