Patient interviews on perceptions of quality within dentistry
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The impact of a capitation pilot in Northern Ireland: examining the effects of changing provider remuneration on patients’ perceptions around quality of care
IRAS ID
193837
Contact name
Paul Brocklehurst
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Provider remuneration in dentistry can utilise either a capitation or fee-for-service (FFS) model. In capitation models, dentists are paid a set amount for each patient they see, whereas in FFS models, they are paid according to which procedures they use to treat a patient. In Northern Ireland, remuneration to dentists for NHS services is currently based on a FFS model.
A particular problem with FFS is that it incentivises treatment volume rather than preventive care. As such, it is unsuited to the current profile of health care need in the UK which is calling for priority to be given to preventative measures as a means of tacking ill-health. Consequently, policy-makers in Northern Ireland (NI) have decided to ‘pilot’ a capitation-based new dental contract and want to work closely with an independent academic team to evaluate the impact of the proposed change in policy on the delivery of dental care.
As such, researchers at the University of Manchester have received funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under the Health Services & Delivery Research (HS &DR) stream to carry out a study that will inform the dental literature and the wider policy context for health and social care.
The aim of this particular strand of the study is to use qualitative methods to examine patients’ perceptions towards the quality of care provided under the current fee-for-service (FFS) system in order to provide a baseline. The intention is to recruit 20 patients from the 14 pilot (intervention) practices and 20 patients from the 14 matched control practices.
Qualitative interviews to examine how these perceptions change as a result of a switch to capitation will be the subject of a separate ethics application that will be submitted towards the end of the pilot.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
15/NI/0268
Date of REC Opinion
23 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion