Motivation-Enhanced Communication for Dental Care

Overseen By Julie Horst

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 3

40 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The goal of this study is to compare different no-show interventions in dental clinics serving underserved populations. The main question it seeks to answer is * How do different no-show intervention methods compare in reducing no-shows? Participants will be asked to * Implement different interventions * Report a limited set of data to researchers

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify whether participants must stop taking their current medications.

Is Motivation-Enhanced Communication for Dental Care safe for humans?

The studies on reminders and communication for dental care, such as text messages and postcards, show that patients generally have positive feelings about receiving reminders, with no reported safety concerns. Most patients appreciated the reminders and expressed a desire to continue receiving them, indicating that this approach is safe for human use. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How is the Motivation-Enhanced Communication for Dental Care treatment different from other dental care treatments?

This treatment is unique because it combines motivation-enhanced communication with reminder messages and walk-in visits to improve dental care attendance and compliance. Unlike traditional treatments, it focuses on enhancing patient motivation and satisfaction through personalized reminders and educational messages, which have been shown to significantly increase the likelihood of patients revisiting for dental care. ^{1 2 5 6 7}

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Motivation-enhanced Communication, Reminder Messages, Walk-in Visits for dental care?

Research shows that sending reminders, especially those combined with health education, significantly increases the likelihood of patients returning for dental visits. Patients who received reminders were up to 2.9 times more likely to revisit, and most patients felt positively about receiving reminders, indicating that reminders can effectively improve dental care attendance. ^{1 2 4 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Todd Molfenter, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Chris Okunseri, BDS, MSc, MLS, DDPHRCSE

Principal Investigator

Marquette University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for staff at dental clinics that serve mostly self-pay and Medicaid patients. Participants must be willing to share clinic data, give consent, and support a project aimed at improving patient attendance.

Inclusion Criteria

Sites must serve at least a 51 percent self-pay and Medicaid patients

Sites must be willing to provide limited data sets of clinic data to the research team

Staff must be able and willing to provide written or verbal consent

Exclusion Criteria

No exclusion criteria for clinics or staff

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Implementation of different no-show interventions including reminder messaging, motivation-enhanced communication, and walk-in visits

12 months

Monthly data collection

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in show rates and organizational readiness for change

3 months

Survey administered at 3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Motivation-enhanced Communication
• Reminder Messages
• Walk-in Visits

Trial Overview The study tests if motivation-enhanced communication, reminder messages, or walk-in visits can reduce the number of people who miss their dental appointments in underserved communities.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Reminder Messages, Walk-in visits, & Motivation-enhanced Communication Active Control 3 Interventions

Group II: Motivation-enhanced Communication Active Control 1 Intervention

Group III: Reminder Messages Active Control 1 Intervention

Group IV: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Group V: Walk-in visits & Motivation-enhanced Communication Active Control 2 Interventions

Group VI: Walk-in Visits Active Control 1 Intervention

Group VII: Reminder Messages & Walk-in visits Active Control 2 Interventions

Group VIII: Reminder Messages & Motivation-enhanced Communication Active Control 2 Interventions

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,249

Recruited

3,255,000+

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Collaborator

Trials

312

Recruited

853,000+

Citations

1. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of tooth scaling reminders for dental outpatients. [2017]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

SMS reminders to improve outpatient attendance for public dental services: A retrospective study. [2022]

3. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Influence of active reminders on oral hygiene compliance in orthodontic patients. [2022]

4. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of using mobile applications for improving oral hygiene in patients with orthodontic fixed appliances: a randomised controlled trial. [2019]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Changing clinical practice through patient specific reminders available at the time of the clinical encounter: systematic review and meta-analysis. [2021]

6. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The use of postal reminders to reduce non-attendance at an orthodontic clinic: a randomised controlled trial. [2004]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of automated messaging on oral hygiene in adolescent orthodontic patients: A randomized controlled trial. [2021]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A preliminary investigation into the effect of the use of the Short Message Service (SMS) on patient attendance at an NHS Dental Access Centre in Scotland. [2022]

9. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Influence of WhatsApp and electronic mail reminders on oral hygiene compliance of orthodontic patients using planimetry : A randomized clinical trial. [2022]