An Audit of External Referrals to the Periodontology Department in an Irish University Dental Hospital

Abstract

##Statement of Problem: Concerns were raised that referrals to the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH) Periodontology Department often lacked sufficient information for triaging. ##Purpose of the Study: To investigate the quality of periodontal referrals when compared with a local standard and examine if the use of the existing divisional referral proforma was associated with a higher standard of referral. ##Materials and methods: Data was collected by retrospectively auditing 150 external referrals to the DDUH Periodontology Department at representative intervals over a 12-month period. Referrals were assessed to investigate if they included 22 information points as requested by our local standard (referral proforma). Data was input into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysed. Ten periodontal referrals proforma from similar Dental Institutes across Ireland and the UK were also compared to our proforma to investigate if our institution requests a similar level of information to others. ##Results: Referral analysis indicated that clinicians provided on average 12.9 out of 22 (59%) items of required information in their referral correspondence. Referrers utilised the appropriate referral proforma in 28% of cases. Use of this proforma was associated with a better standard of referral (17.9 out of 22 required information items provided, 80%) when compared with non-proforma referrals (11.2 out of 22 required information items provided, 51%). Analysis of other institutions’ proforma highlighted that DDUH requests referring practitioners to include more information than equivalent peer institutions. ##Conclusion: Periodontal referral letters to DDUH frequently fail to include sufficient information. Practitioners seldom utilise the divisional referral proforma, although its use is associated with improved referral quality. Simplification of the existing referral proforma and dissemination of referral guidelines to practitioners is recommended moving forward.