Patient-centric periodontal research: A pioneering application of patient-reported outcome measures

Abstract

Conventional dentistry or periodontal research often ignores the human component in favor of clinical outcomes and biological causes. Clinical research is driven by the statistical significance of outcome parameters rather than the satisfaction level of the patient. In this context, patient-centric periodontal research (PCPR) is an approach that considers the patient´s feedback concerning their functional status, experience, clinical outcomes, and accessibility to their treatments. It is argued that data self-reported by the patient might have low reliability owing to the confounding effect of their personal belief, cultural background, and social and economic factors. However, literature has shown that the incorporation of “patient-centric outcome” components considerably enhances the validity and applicability of research findings. Variations in the results of different studies might be due to the use of different and non-standardized assessment tools. To overcome this problem, this editorial enlists various reliable tools available in the literature. In conclusion, we advocate that the focus of researchers should shift from mere periodontal research to PCPR so that the results can be effectively applied in clinical settings and the therapeutic strategy can also change from mere periodontal therapy to patient-centric periodontal therapy.

Keywords: Patient-centered care; Clinical research; Surrogate endpoints; Quality of life; Oral health; Patient reported treatment outcomes

Core Tip: Patient-centric periodontal research (PCPR), a ground-breaking idea, attempts to bridge the gap between science and patient well-being. Conventional dentistry or periodontal research often ignores the human component in favor of clinical outcomes and biological causes. The requirement for PCPR will lead to a paradigm shift in research that favors a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes patients and their experiences. A thorough understanding of how periodontal diseases affect people’s daily lives becomes feasible in PCPR because of the active patient participation in the study process. This can be done by incorporation of patient related outcome measures (PROMs). However, not only PROMs be standardized, but they should also undergo psychometric validation so that they can be reliably used in clinical research to improve the quality of treatment and enhance patient safety.