Patient-reported experience and outcome measures in oral surgery: a dental hospital experience

Introduction Patient-reported experience and outcome measures (PREMs and PROMs) are useful tools in assessing the quality of a service and the care it provides. We present our findings from the collection and analysis of PREMs and PROMs at the Royal London Dental Hospital Oral Surgery Department and discuss implications for future practice. Methods PREMs questionnaires exploring peri-operative aspects of care were distributed to patients having dental extractions under local anaesthetic. Patients were later invited to complete a PROMs questionnaire to gather information about their post-operative experience. Results One hundred and fifty-five PREMs questionnaires were completed. Over 98% of patients reported that they felt involved in their treatment, their pain and anxiety was well managed, they received information in a suitable language, and they felt able to ask questions. Eighty-seven (56%) patients subsequently completed the PROMs questionnaire. Twelve (14%) reported that they required assistance following treatment and two (2%) required further surgery. Sixty-three (72%) patients reported that they achieved normal function/appearance within two weeks. Conclusion The majority of patients reported a positive experience throughout their patient journey. We conclude that PREMs and PROMs may be used for benchmarking and managing service provision. There is scope for developing comprehensive measures for use in dental settings.