Research priorities for oral healthcare: agenda setting from the practitioners’ perspective

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to develop a research agenda based on the most important information needs concerning the effects and outcomes of oral healthcare provided by oral healthcare professionals (OHPs).

Methods

A two-stage survey study was used to identify and prioritise topics for future research. The first survey generated topics based on information needs by OHPs. Topics were clustered thematically and overlapping topics were merged in 84 research themes. In the second survey, respondents selected their top 5 from the 84 research themes. Themes were sorted by the rank number based on rank sum.

Results

In the first survey, 937 topics were suggested. Almost half (n = 430, 46%) were identified as topics related to endodontology, cariology, oral medicine/surgery or tooth restoration. Topics were grouped in 84 research themes, covering 10 research domains. These were prioritised by 235 OHPs. Behaviour change for oral health and oral healthcare for geriatric patients ranked as most important.

Conclusions

Consultation of OHPs has resulted in a research agenda, which can be used to inform programming future oral health research. The highest prioritised research themes have an interdisciplinary nature, mainly concern oral disease prevention and are under-represented in the current oral healthcare research portfolio.

Keywords:

• Oral healthcare
• research priorities
• research policy

Acknowledgements

We thank N.A. Verpoort and T. Haasnoot for their contribution in the analysis of the data.

Author contributions

Idea and supervision of the project: G. van der Heijden.

Design and development of study: P. van der Wouden and G. van der Heijden.

Collection and analyses of data: P. van der Wouden.

Interpretation of findings from data analyses: P. van der Wouden, H. Shemesh and G. van der Heijden.

Drafting the Manuscript: P. van der Wouden.

Critical revision of the study for important intellectual content: H. Shemesh, G. van der Heijden.

Final approval of the version to be published: P. van der Wouden, H. Shemesh and G. van der Heijden.

Table 4. Top-10 research themes for future oral healthcare research prioritised by OHPs.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Data availability statement

All data are available in the study.