Using the simplified case mix tool (sCMT) to identify cost in special care dental services to support commissioning.

To commission dental services for vulnerable (special care) patient groups effectively, consistently and fairly an evidence base is needed of the costs involved. The simplified Case Mixed Tool (sCMT) can assess treatment mode complexity for these patient groups. OBJECTIVE: To determine if the sCMT can be used to identify costs of service provision. CLINICAL SETTING: Patients (n=495) attending the Sussex Community NHS Trust Special Care Dental Service for care were assessed using the sCMT. MAIN MEASURES: sCMT score and costs (staffing, laboratory fees, etc.) besides patient age, whether a new patient and use of general anaesthetic/intravenous sedation. METHOD: Statistical analysis (adjusted linear regression modelling) compared sCMT score and costs then sensitivity analyses of the costings to age, being a new patient and sedation use were undertaken. Regression tables were produced to present estimates of service costs. RESULTS: Costs increased with sCMT total scale and single item values in a predictable manner in all analyses except for 'cooperation'. Costs increased with the use of IV sedation; with each rising level of the sCMT, and with complexity in every sCMT category, except cooperation. CONCLUSION: Costs increased with increase in complexity of treatment mode as measured by sCMT scores. Measures such as the sCMT can provide predictions of the resource allocations required when commissioning special care dental services.

Trends and costs of high concentration fluoride toothpaste prescribing in Scotland.

Within Scotland there has been a significant increase in the prescription of 2,800 ppm and 5,000 ppm fluoride toothpaste. The objective of this paper was to analyse the trends in high concentration fluoride toothpaste (HCFT) in the five Scottish South East and Tayside (SEAT) health boards and consider the options for future national management of this prescribing. A retrospective analysis of routine prescribing data for the years 2006-2012 was carried out in primary care dental practices in Scotland. The cost of HCFT prescribing in the five Scottish health boards has increased from £15,243 (4,147 items) in 2006/07 to £206,529 (24,113 items), in 2011/12. Out of 2,430 dental list numbers, 100 list numbers (4.1%) accounted for 70% of the total prescribing costs (£144,367). The public dental service employs 153 (6%) of dentists working in Scotland, who in turn prescribe 11.6% HCFT. There is a need to ensure that the prescription of HCFT is both encouraged as best practice care but also managed appropriately to ensure that its delivery is targeted at those who are most in need.

Weighing up the weighted case mix tool (WCMT): a psychometric investigation using confirmatory factor analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of the WCMT in two Scottish health boards and to consider the impact of simplifying the tool to improve efficient use. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of routine WCMT data (47,276 cases). CLINICAL SETTING: Public Dental Service (PDS) within NHS Lothian and Highland. METHOD: The WCMT consists of six criteria. Each criterion is measured independently on a four-point scale to assess patient complexity and the dental care for the disabled/impaired patient. Psychometric analyses on the data-set were conducted. Conventional internal consistency coefficients were calculated. Latent variable modelling was performed to assess the 'fit' of the raw data to a pre-specified measurement model. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test three potential changes to the existing WCMT that included, the removal of the oral risk factor question, the removal of original weightings for scoring the Tool, and collapsing the 4-point rating scale to three categories. RESULTS: The removal of the oral risk factor question had little impact on the reliability of the proposed simplified CMT to discriminate between levels of patient complexity. The removal of weighting and collapsing each item's rating scale to three categories had limited impact on reliability of the revised tool. The CFA analysis provided strong evidence that a new, proposed simplified Case Mix Tool (sCMT) would operate closely to the pre-specified measurement model (the WMCT). CONCLUSIONS: A modified sCMT can demonstrate, without reducing reliability, a useful measure of the complexity of patient care. The proposed sCMT may be implemented within primary care dentistry to record patient complexity as part of an oral health assessment.