Participant Information Sheet (Dentists & Dental Care Professionals) V3.0. Date 25/02/2025.
Title of study: Perceptions of dental Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings: experience, contribution and outcomes.
Research team (University of Central Lancashire): Fadi Barrak, Beatriz Sanchez-Inigo, Neil Cook, Cintia Fukuoka, Katherine Hare
Ethical approval: This project has been reviewed and approved by the University of Central Lancashire HEALTH ethics panel: Ethics reference number HEALTH 01179
Invitation to participate: We are inviting all UK dentists and Dental Care Professionals (DCP) with any experience of the Multidisciplinary Team decision-making process to take part in this research. Before you decide whether or not to participate, please read the following information carefully and feel free to contact us with any questions or anything you do not understand. You do not have to accept this invitation to participate. Thank you.
What is the purpose of the study? The purpose of this study is to evaluate Multidisciplinary Team meetings (MDT) in dentistry. We will assess the availability, frequency of attendance, and impact of Multidisciplinary Team meetings on treatment planning and knowledge development. The Multidisciplinary Team process is embedded into the NHS, and complex dental cases within the NHS hospital environment may also find themselves the subject of multidisciplinary input. However in dentistry primary care, in the absence of specific guidelines, justification of one approach over another often relies on personal knowledge and expertise. Moreover, primary care now sees more and more complex cases as dentistry moves away from the NHS and into specialist private practice. Thus, combining experiences and expertise from a number of dental practitioners in a multidisciplinary team format opens opportunity to consider alternative strategies and decide upon the most appropriate and individualised treatment plans to present to the patient. While some specialist dental practices now host Multidisciplinary Team meetings in varying formats, there is a scarcity of published evidence on the validity of dental Multidisciplinary Team meetings. In the absence of supporting evidence it is hard to see this process becoming more prevalent. This study aims to draw on perceptions of Multidisciplinary Team meetings in dentistry from the relatively small UK pool who already participate, with the aim of understanding what, if any, benefits Multidisciplinary Team meetings may have for patients and for practitioners.
Why have I been invited to take part? We are approaching as many UK dentists and Dental Care Professionals as possible to invite them to participate, as the pool who attend Multidisciplinary Team meetings is likely to be relatively small.
Do I have to take part? No, participation is voluntary. You can exit the survey at any point up until you submit your responses. Once you have submitted your responses you cannot withdraw them, as there is no collection of identifiable information at any point, and so the researchers would not be able to identify your responses.
What will happen if I take part ? If you decide to take part, you can click on the link provided to take you to an online survey. The first section of the online survey asks you to confirm that you have read this participant information. This is followed by a series of questions, at the end of which you can submit your responses. Following data collection, the researchers will analyse the results.
How will my data be used? Your anonymous responses will be analysed and used for education, presentation and publication purposes by the research team named above. The University of Central Lancashire acts as Data Controller for this study. All data will be electronic and stored on the password protected UCLan network in a shared space to which only the research team have access. No personal data will be collected.
Further information on how your data will be used can be found in the table below.
|
How will my data be collected? |
Data will be collected through an anonymous online questionnaire using Microsoft Forms. |
|
How will my data be stored? |
All data will be electronic and stored on the password protected UCLan Office 365 network in a shared space to which only the research team have access. |
|
How long will my data be stored for? |
Data will be stored for 7 years from the end of the project. |
|
What measures are in place to protect the security and confidentiality of my data? |
Your data is stored on the password protected UCLan Office 365 network. Only the research team will have access to the data. |
|
Will my data be anonymised? |
Your data will be collected anonymously, and no information is collected that poses a risk of re-identification. |
|
How will my data be used? |
The data collected will be used to write up articles for publication in journals, for verbal or poster presentation at conferences, for teaching purposes, and a summary of findings may be disseminated through The Campbell Academy/Clinic websites. |
|
Who will have access to my data? |
Only the UCLan research team will have access to your data. |
|
Will my data be archived for use in other research projects in the future? |
No. |
|
How will my data be destroyed?
|
7 years after data collection is complete the MS Forms and all their contents will be permanently deleted from the UCLan network by a member of the research team. |
Are there any risks in taking part? There are no risks to taking part – there is no personal data collected in these questions and no risk of re-identification.
Are there any benefits from taking part? There are no benefits to taking part other than sharing your experiences.
Expenses and/or payment: None.
What will happen to the results of the study? The results of the study will be shared through academic publications, conference presentations, poster presentations, teaching and on websites. You will not be identifiable from the results.
What will happen if I want to stop taking part? You can stop taking part at any point in the survey before pressing the submit button. One you have submitted your answers you cannot withdraw them, as they are submitted anonymously.
What if I am unhappy or there is a problem?
Please contact the Primary Investigator Fadi Barrak to discuss any concerns or problems at fnbarrak@uclan.ac.uk. If you remain unhappy, then please contact the University Ethics, Integrity and Governance Unit at OfficerForEthics@uclan.ac.uk. The University strives to maintain the highest standards of rigour in the processing of your data. However, if you have any concerns about the way in which the University processes your personal data, it is important that you are aware of your right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office by calling 0303 123 1113
Who can I contact if I have further questions?
Principal Investigator (UCLan):
Fadi Barrak
Email: fnbarrak@uclan.ac.uk
Co-Investigator
Beatriz Sanchez-Inigo
Email: bsanchez-inigo@uclan.ac.uk
Alternatively you can direct your questions to Kath Hare, who will ensure your enquiry is directed to and answered by the most appropriate person:
Dr Kath Hare
Email: KHare@uclan.ac.uk, or Kath@campbell-clinic.co.uk
Tel: 0115 982 3913
