Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Sep 17;4(9):e005931.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005931.

The INCENTIVE protocol: an evaluation of the organisation and delivery of NHS dental healthcare to patients-innovation in the commissioning of primary dental care service delivery and organisation in the UK

Sue H Pavitt  1 , Paul D Baxter  2 , Paul A Brunton  3 , Gail Douglas  3 , Richard Edlin  4 , Barry J Gibson  5 , Jenny Godson  6 , Melanie Hall  5 , Jenny Porritt  7 , Peter G Robinson  5 , Karen Vinall  8 , Claire Hulme  8
Affiliations

The INCENTIVE protocol: an evaluation of the organisation and delivery of NHS dental healthcare to patients-innovation in the commissioning of primary dental care service delivery and organisation in the UK

Sue H Pavitt et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: In England, in 2006, new dental contracts devolved commissioning of dental services locally to Primary Care Trusts to meet the needs of their local population. The new national General Dental Services contracts (nGDS) were based on payment for Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) awarded in three treatment bands based on complexity of care. Recently, contract currency in UK dentistry is evolving from UDAs based on volume and case complexity towards 'blended contracts' that include incentives linked with key performance indicators such as quality and improved health outcome. Overall, evidence of the effectiveness of incentive-driven contracting of health providers is still emerging. The INCENTIVE Study aims to evaluate a blended contract model (incentive-driven) compared to traditional nGDS contracts on dental service delivery in practices in West Yorkshire, England.

Methods and analysis: The INCENTIVE model uses a mixed methods approach to comprehensively evaluate a new incentive-driven model of NHS dental service delivery. The study includes 6 dental surgeries located across three newly commissioned dental practices (blended contract) and three existing traditional practices (nGDS contracts). The newly commissioned practices have been matched to traditional practices by deprivation index, age profile, ethnicity, size of practice and taking on new patients. The study consists of three interlinked work packages: a qualitative study to explore stakeholder perspectives of the new service delivery model; an effectiveness study to assess the INCENTIVE model in reducing the risk of and amount of dental disease and enhance oral health-related quality of life in patients; and an economic study to assess cost-effectiveness of the INCENTIVE model in relation to clinical status and oral health-related quality of life.

Ethics and dissemination: The study has been approved by NRES Committee London, Bromley. The results of this study will be disseminated at national and international conferences and in international journals.

Keywords: HEALTH ECONOMICS; ORAL MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram INCENTIVE study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
‘Traffic Light’ risk assessment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. McDonald R, Cheraghi-Sohi S, Tickle M, et al. The impact of incentives on the behaviour and performance of primary care professionals. Queen's Printer and Controller of HMSO, 2010
    1. Department of Health. NHS Dental Services in England. An independent review led by Professor Jimmy Steele. London: Department of Health, 2009
    1. Christianson J, Leatherman S, Sutherland K. Financial incentives, healthcare providers and quality improvements. A review of the evidence. London: The Health Foundation, 2007
    1. Clarkson JE, Turner S, Grimshaw JM, et al. Changing clinicians’ behavior: a randomized controlled trial of fees and education. J Dent Res 2008;87:640–4 - PubMed
    1. O'Donnell CA, Ring A, McLean G, et al. The new GMS contract in primary care: the impact of governance and incentives on care. Final report NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation Programme, 2011

Publication types

MeSH terms