RESUMO
AIMS: To assess the speed and accuracy of a checklist user interface for the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD). METHODS: A diagnostic tool formatted as a checklist was developed and compared to an existing diagnostic tool, the DC/TMD diagnsostic decision trees. Both types of tools use the DC/TMD and were tested by dental students, interns, and residents in the USA and Japan for diagnosis of hypothetical patients. The comparisons were done in a randomized, crossover, controlled, double-blinded trial. RESULTS: Overall, subjects using the experimental tool answered 25% more correct diagnoses (P < .001) and missed 27% fewer diagnoses (P < .01). They were also able to finalize their diagnoses faster than those using the control tool, in 16% less time (P < .05). The difference in accuracy was more pronounced in complex cases, while the difference in speed was more pronounced in simple cases. CONCLUSION: This checklist is an alternative user interface for the DC/TMD.